Voters Approve $317 Million Northeast Metro Tech Project

WAKEFIELD, MA — Voters across a dozen communities approved the construction of a new $317 million vocational school in Wakefield.

In a special election Tuesday, voters gave a green light to Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School's bid for a state-of-the-art building. The school was expected to open in 2025.

School officials said it looked like a landslide victory.

“Our work is just beginning," Superintendent David DiBarri said. "We welcome community feedback as we refine this project, and look forward to the day we celebrate a new chapter for Northeast Metro Tech."

A majority of voters who turned out from the 12 cities and towns that send students to the school needed to approve construction. That included Wakefield, where the school is located, as well as Melrose, Stoneham, Malden, Reading, Woburn, North Reading, Winchester, Chelsea, Revere, Saugus and Winthrop.

Elected officials in most of the individual communities had already approved the project, but the Chelsea City Council and Saugus Town Meeting voted against it, citing cost concerns. Any community not supporting the project would trigger the special election.

Each community is on the hook for a share of the cost of the $317 million project after a $141 million grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. While the cost-per-pupil is the same, communities that send more students to Northeast Metro Tech would end up paying much more than those who don't.

Revere (248 students) would be on the hook for $34.1 million, and Chelsea (238) would have to pay $32.8 million. Saugus (170) would be looking at a $23.4 million bill, and Malden (152) $20.9 million.

Those four communities make up more than 60 percent of the school's students, according to October numbers provided by the district.

Wakefield sends 100 students and Woburn 114. The other six communities send between 11 and 57 students.

The vote will allow the school to increase its enrollment by 26 percent, from 1,270 to 1,600. That is expected to dramatically shorten the district's waitlist, which is about 400 students annually.

The current building has not had any significant renovations, additions or improvements since its construction in 1968.

The biggest issues facing Northeast Metro are overcrowding, an inability to accommodate individualized education programs tailored to special education students, outdated facilities and programming, and failing mechanical and electrical systems, according to the school.

The project is being partially funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which helps support capital improvement projects.

The new Northeast Metro would bring the school into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and enable it to offer expanded programs and to accommodate individualized education programs.

It would also include a new primary access road from Farm Street to help with traffic, outdoor learning, a new cafeteria, auditorium and gym and more.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.