Waltham High School At Stigmatine?: Possibility Edges Forward

WALTHAM, MA — Mayor Jeannette McCarthy now has the permission from the City Council to approach the Stigmatine Fathers to ask them if the city can access to their property to begin a feasibility study to see if a high school would actually work on the property. It's the latest development in what has been a years-long subject of controversy.

The permission came after years of back and forth about the property, which has been a favorite of the Waltham School Department and School Committee. The City Council took the Stigmatine property out of consideration for a new school site after the stewards of the Stigmatine sent a letter to the city making it clear they did not want to sell. City Councilors said if the Stigmatines didn't want to sell, they would not support taking the land by eminent domain. But in February after pushback from residents and School Department officials the property came back on the table.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which is helping financially support a new high school project, asked the School Committee to send them a report on potential sites for the Waltham High School project, including a timeline for finalizing an agreement with the Stigmatines if that site was ultimately chosen and asking the city to start the ball rolling on a feasibility study.

The School Committee asked McCarthy to request an appropriation of $269,079 for a feasibility study of the property at 554 Lexington St.

The Stigmatine site has been the School Department’s preferred location because of the size. The School Department likes that it would allow for a campus school that would work well with the new education plan. Building on that site would also allow the district to use the old high school building for other programs.

Waltham High School is a 449,700 square foot facility. The school was built in 1968, with additions made in 1998 and 2002. The District identified deficiencies in major building systems including mechanical, electrical and windows as enrollment has increased.

The MSBA partners with Massachusetts communities to help financially support the design and construction projects.

Previous Patch coverage on this:

• Waltham Residents Rally At City Hall With Message About Stigmatine (Feb. 28, 2018)
• Waltham Mayor Lays Out Case For Stigmatine (Sept. 28, 2017)
• City Council Denies Eminent Domain Taking of Stigmatine (May 23, 2017)
• Stigmatine Official: 'Our Property Is Not For Sale' (May 18, 2017)
• Mayor McCarthy: Why I Didn't Speak At The Stigmatine Meeting (May 17, 2017)
• Waltham City Council Committee Rejects Eminent Domain (May 15, 2017)
• Waltham Mayor Requests Eminent Domain of Stigmatine (Feb. 2017)

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File Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch