WHS will soon be undergoing multiple major upgrades so that “the building matches the learning happening inside it,” according to Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Raymond González.
In the interior of the school, bathrooms will be renovated. Additionally, air quality and temperature in classrooms, gyms, the auditorium and cafeterias will be improved. Locker rooms, athletic training spaces, the auditorium and the media center will be upgraded. Also, rooms for hands-on classes like Technical Education and Food Science will be designed specifically for those programs.
Science Teacher Judith McLoughlin said the culinary room is “a very old facility and it does need some renovation.”
“It’s really exciting to hear that we will have new kitchen facilities, especially at a time when we have done away with the enjoyable, but old-fashioned, Foods courses. We have transitioned to something more modern and more scientifically sound, which is the science of cooking,” said McLoughlin.
According to Dr. González, “The work will happen in phases, but most major projects are expected to be substantially completed by September 2028.”
On the exterior of the building, arrival and dismissal congestion will be improved with a new driveway loop and better parking that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, entrances will also be added to the main office and gym.
This new system aims to decrease traffic on Dorian Road “by allowing cars to continue to flow after drop off in the morning,” stated School Resource Officer Michael DiBella.
DiBella said, “I’m sure there’ll be some growing pains like there were at the beginning of this year with [the new block schedule]. But after a while, it’s going to turn into a system where it makes everything a lot easier.”
Furthermore, students often complain about the quality of the WHS bathrooms, so these renovations should mitigate those issues. Sophomore Darby Revock said, “Every time I walk into the bathroom, it smells awful.”
Sophomore Giada Petrarca added, “There seems to be a problem with the sewage system because there’s always water all over the floor. Also, a lot of the stalls don’t lock.” Last school year, many classrooms in the front hall and the auditorium smelled like sewage because of a burst pipe from the first floor boys bathroom.
With new traffic plans, a focus on updates and more consistent temperatures throughout the building, WHS is ready for a much needed upgrade.