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Updated 10/03/2012 06:37 AM

School officials push for high school renovation

A local school committee hopes it can move to the next step to renovate or rebuild a high school. YNN's Madeleine Rivera, has more on the latest developments.

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- "It could be renovate the existing building, we could add on to the existing building, it could be renovate and add on," said Kathleen Amuso, Co-Chair of the Pittsfield School Building Needs Commission.

It's been a two year long process but a local school committee is hoping it's almost reached the end of a review to renovate Taconic High School.

"We are very anxious to move forward because it really has been many years," said Amuso.

The Pittsfield School Building Needs Commission has been working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to build a new and improved Taconic. The latest focus is on the school's vocational education. The MSBA recommends that Taconic's current vocational program be revamped.

"Not add, not make more but provide quality programs that we can substantially demonstrate have a future," said Dr. Gordon Noseworthy, Superintendent of Pittsfield Public Schools.

The New England School Development Council did a labor market study on what jobs will be in demand in the area within the next several years. Taconic's vocational program would aim to educate students in those growing fields so their chances of employment after graduation are better.

"We're so committed to 21st century career college and curriculum that we need to house students in a facility that would really match that with state of the art facility and technology of all kinds," said Noseworthy.

The price tag for proposed vocational program would be around $300,000 a year paid for by the city of Pittsfield. But 80 percent of the of multimillion dollar project to renovate or rebuild the high school would be reimbursed by the state.

That's if the project is approved.

"I think it's been expected for a while now, there've been rumors about what they're going to do for the schools, and everyone's interested in seeing it, and I think it's going to be cool to be a part of it," said Kevin Fisher, Pittsfield High School student.

Once the committee gets past the review, it moves on to the design stages.