At this week’s North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) meeting, Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, Executive Director of the North Bennet Street School, updated the council and attendees on recent NBSS activities. The school celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.
The trade school received a grant to start a woodworking class in March 2010 with the Eliot School’s 8th grade class. Eliot students will learn skills one day per week. Interestingly, NBSS started providing shop classes to neighborhood students over a century ago and now returns to that tradition.
The NBSS has been considering expansion and would like to remain in the North End. Due to space limitations at its current location, the school has a second campus in Arlington.
NBSS has its eye on the vacant City-owned printing building on Richmond Street. This location would provide substantially more space allowing it to bring programs from Arlington back to the North End. Should NBSS move, there is some speculation that the Eliot School could expand into its current building on North Bennet Street, responding to local parents desire for more public school classes in the neighborhood.
The Council thanked the NBSS for its contributions to the neighborhood and communicated its support for the school to stay in the North End.
NEWNC meeting minutes are posted at NEWNCBoston.org.
