The Fall River Reporter says the new building for the Bristol-Plymouth (Massachusetts) Regional Vocational Technical School will serve over 1,400 students in 19 vocational programs. The new school is set to open in 2026.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority is set to provide up to $125 million in funding assistance for the project; the district will spend about $180 million.
The new school will replace a facility built in 1972 that no longer meets modern educational needs, and district officials determined it would make more sense to build new rather than renovate.
Among the deficiencies cited in the existing building: It is not energy-efficient; its systems are outdated. The exterior envelope shows signs of extensive deterioration. It has an undersized cafeteria and no auditorium for student assembly. Classrooms and shop spaces are undersized.
The district serves the towns of Berkley, Bridgewater, Dighton, Middleboro, Raynham, Rehoboth and the City of Taunton.
