EV E R T -FREEVol. 32, No.51 EVE E T T adv D OCAT www.advocatenews.net net Free Every Friday Enjoying their Breakfast with Santa By Neil Zolot nterim Superintendent William Hart was unanimously appointed as the new permanent Superintendent of Schools by the School Committee at a Special Meeting on Wednesday, December 20. “I would be honored to continue in this job,” he said in his interview in reference to being appointed Interim Superintendent in October. “I want a chance to continue the work I’ve already started. My intenI The Fragelus family were all smiles during their visit with Santa during the Breakfast with Santa at the Keverian School last weekend. See pages 8-9 for photo highlights. (Advocate photo) HART | SEE PAGE 6 Special to Th e Advocate C hristmas came a little early to Everett this year with a vote by the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to advance the proposal Mayor Carlo DeMaria has been advocating for: to build a new high school facility that has the potential to alleviate classroom size in all current Everett Public School buildings. The MSBA Directors voted at their meeting on December 13, 2023, to accept the recommendation to invite the Statement of Interest (SOI) for the Everett High School, serving grades 9-12, in the City of Everett (City) into the MSBA’s Eligibility Period. The Eligibility Period is a 270-day process that formalizes the beginning of the MSBA’s grant approval process for funding to conSINCE 1921 Messinger Insurance Agency 475 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Phone: 617-387-2700 Fax: 617-387-7753 NEW COMPETITIVE AUTO RATES AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE ACCIDENT FORGIVENESS DISAPPEARING COLLISION DEDUCTIBLE 11% DISCOUNT WITH SUPPORTING POLICY 10% COMBINED PAY IN FULL DISCOUNT AND GREEN DISCOUNT 10% GOOD STUDENT DISCOUNT Celebrating 100 years of excellence! Monday thru Friday: 8am to 6pm Saturdays 9am to 1pm! Check out our NEW website! www.messingerinsurance.com Have a Very Merry Christmas! 617-387-2200 ADVOCTE Friday, December 22, 2023 School Board unanimously votes William Hart as New Schools Superintendent William Hart Superintendent of Everett Public Schools MSBA advances proposal to build new high school in Everett Proposed new facility might alleviate classroom size in all current Everett Public School buildings struct a new school facility and includes a schedule with defi nitive milestones for the Cityto complete preliminary requirements assisting with determining fi nancial and community readiness, identifying needs for planning, and budgeting. This process will commence on July 1, 2024, and conclude on March 28, 2025. Successful completion of all activities in the Eligibility Period will allow the City to be eligible for an MSBA invitation to the next step, which is Feasibility Study. “Last week’s vote by the MSBA Board of Directors is the critical next step that I have fought for in order for Everett to move forward with the only solution that will address our entire district’s needs,” said Mayor DeMaria. “Despite all political assertions to the contrary, the data and evidence show that spending tens of millions of dollars to renovate the former Pope John facility is fi scally irresponsible because that site does not have the capacity to solve class size across the whole district. I have a responsibility to take action that will benefi t all students and to spend taxpayer dollars in the way that will provide the greatest benefi t to our community, which proposals to use the former Pope John location clearly would not.” “It is an honor to be among the select few communities to have its Statement of Interest selected by the Massachusetts School Building Authority,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools William Hart. “The district looks forward to working with city and state offi cials on building a high school that fulfi lls all of our aspirations.” Building a new high school facility would alleviate classroom size across the district because it would create the option of using the current high school as a middle school. Creating additional space for a middle school would remove students from Everett’s current K-8 schools and allow for space currently occupied by upper grades to be used to better meet the needs of lower grade students. Mayor DeMaria also has advocated for a new high school facility to expand Everett’s ability to off er Career and Technical Education (CTE) for students who do not have access to vocational options currently. “We need to make every eff ort to ensure that our MSBA | SEE PAGE 5
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