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The Haverhill school department is forging ahead with plans for a new John Greenleaf Whittier School with two options that would also replace the John C. Tilton School.
Now that the new Dr. Albert B. Consentino School is mostly in the rear window, Haverhill School Superintendent Margaret Marotta told the School Committee last week the new Whittier middle school building project is moving into the design phase.
There are three enrollment options—a 745-student middle school, which she described as a similar to today’s school with more space and room for students; a grades four through eight school of 1,045 students that would replace both the Whittier middle and Tilton elementary schools; and a larger school of 1,325 students that would encompass grades three to eight and also close Tilton School. The superintendent acknowledged additional considerations required to combine the two schools.
“I realize those are not in the same section of the city, and it requires some shifting of lines,” Marotta said.
In response to a question from Haverhill School Committee Member Yonnie Collins, she explained the grades four through eight option would result in a school roughly the size of the new Consentino School.
“They don’t plan for us to open at 1,045 or operate at 1,045, but it would have the capacity to take that many students. They don’t want to build a building that’s going to be filled to capacity immediately,” she said.
Marotta said whatever school emerges probably won’t be substantially completed before 2031 or 2032. She added the state is expected to reimburse the city 80% of the project cost.
The superintendent added there will be a public meeting Thursday, Nov. 5, with a review of the ideas and solicitation of feedback.
As WHAV first reported near the end of 2023, members of the Massachusetts School Building Authority was briefed on the possibility of combining the schools during a site walk that fall.