St. Hilaire Announces Support for a New Middle School in Beverly
Commends those providing the best educational experience possible at Briscoe Middle School
BEVERLY, MA – Matt St. Hilaire, a Beverly native and candidate for City Council At-Large, announced his support for a new Middle School in Beverly today.
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“I commend all those who are doing everything they can to provide the very best educational experience possible at Briscoe Middle School.” St. Hilaire said. “With that said, I fully support moving forward with the project to build a new Middle School. Briscoe is outdated, overcrowded and inadequate to serve as a 21st century Middle School and our students deserve better.”
St. Hilaire toured Briscoe Middle School, which was built in 1923, earlier this summer with School Committee President Maria Decker. During the tour he had the opportunity to meet Principal Matthew Poska as well as his former classmate and friend, Assistant Principal Terry Conant and saw first-hand the challenges they face day in and day out as a result of the age, size and condition of the building in accomplishing their mission of educating Beverly’s 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.
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The City of Beverly submitted a Statement of Interest earlier this year with the Massachusetts School Building Assistance (SBA) program to build a new middle school at the site of the former Memorial Middle School on Cabot Street. Pending approval from the SBA this fall, the next step will be to conduct a Feasibility Study to determine the best way to move the project forward.
“This new middle school project is critical to bridging the gap between our elementary schools and our new first rate high school.” St. Hilaire said. “Beverly needs leaders in City Hall to champion this project and push it forward to completion. I am committed to making sure the new middle school gets done in the best educational and fiscally responsible way possible.”
St. Hilaire, 36, is a graduate of Beverly High School and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Villanova University. He is married to Beverly native Elizabeth (Dunn) St. Hilaire and together they have three young children, the oldest of whom is a first grader at Cove Elementary School this year.
“I am deeply invested in Beverly’s future, I understand how government works and I’ll be able to get things done.” St. Hilaire said. “I look forward to contributing to the continued excellence of our schools.”
