WORCESTER—In his remarks at the outset of the dedication ceremony for the new Doherty Memorial High School over the weekend, Mayor Joseph Petty said “When I was first elected mayor, I pledged to build four schools.”
Petty’s words were music to the ears of a delegation of state and local officials fanned out on the stage of the auditorium, and to those in the audience. At a cost of $316 million, the new Doherty is the most spectacular of the new campuses constructed in the city in recent years. All have resulted from “strong partnerships,” he said. Headliners had entered the auditorium single file to celebratory musical accompaniment.
“We will have made $1 billion in investment with a new Burncoat” now in line to be built next, Petty said. He then issued a thank you to all involved in bringing the new Doherty to life, with a special nod to State Treasurer Deb Goldberg for the push she gave to the financing arrangements.
“This building is a physical reminder of the promise we made to our youth,” Petty said, on behalf of the Worcester School Committee, which he chairs.
In his own speech that afternoon, Doherty Principal John Staley expressed “great pride and excitement” in the building. He echoed these sentiments two days later in welcoming hundreds of visitors to the school for an open house and public tour.
“A lot of alumni!” Dan O’Brien, communications director for the Worcester Public Schools, said, as visitors streamed through the doors.
Staley, who was standing near the entrance, agreed. “There were thousands here in the spring for the closing of the old building and now this,” he said, of the strong turnout. “It’s such an honor for everyone. To see the old and the new and feel the excitement.”
Doherty merchandise was also on sale, on Saturday.
Visitors, most of whom were seeing the new Doherty for the first time, roamed the halls and rooms and spaces. Outside the music lab, one man was heard to say “I want to come back, just to play an instrument.”
“This is not just a physical space but our commitment to what education can be,” Staley told the crowd in the auditorium, last Thursday. “This building gives us the opportunity to enhance the modern learning environment.” He expressed appreciation for former Doherty Principal Sally Maloney, “a mentor to so many of us.”
The facility boasts 102,000 square feet and 94 classrooms, doubling the size of the old building. The new Doherty, which The Worcester Guardian first toured earlier in August before school started, includes standout features such as a 3,000-square-foot theater, a media center/café, and a fully equipped music lab, offering enhanced opportunities for modern education. Career technical education has expanded with three new programs, including construction and engineering technology, making the school a hub for both academics and vocational training.
Staley made a point of noting that the new Doherty will be a “community” building, accessible and inviting.
Not only students and staff but everyone who enters into the building is “in awe,” he said.
“Let’s embrace this exciting adventure together,” Staley said.
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Central Massachusetts and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He can be contacted at rodlee1963@gmail.com
