Equipped with sunglasses and a harmonica, Dr. Brian G. McDermott took center stage in May, regaling Tahanto Regional High School students and staff with a rendition of the James Brown song, “I Feel Good.”
It was more than a performance; it was the culmination of a decade-long push for the construction of a new middle/high school. McDermott, who was appointed superintendent of schools for the Berlin-Boylston Regional School District in 2008, played an integral role in making the project a reality.
McDermott came to Berlin-Boylston after nearly eight years in Ayer Public Schools serving as the educational and information technology director, business manager and assistant superintendent for information systems and business operations.
“It was exciting to be given the chance to actively participate in the movement of a district,” said McDermott. “In the past, I had been able to help districts and organizations move in the right direction, but never as the actual leader, as superintendent.”
Earlier in his career, McDermott held positions as curriculum and technology director in the Shrewsbury, Auburn and Clinton public schools and was an educational consultant for the Alliance for Education in Worcester and management trainer for Digital Equipment Corporation in Maynard. While in Clinton, he served on the building committee for the high school building project – an invaluable preparation for what was to come.
In the years leading up to McDermott’s appointment, Tahanto, located in Boylston, had been placed on warning status by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and was at risk of losing its accreditation. In 2006, the district submitted a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The SOI, which was approved, highlighted a deteriorating flat roof, an inefficient hot water heating system, thermally inefficient windows, inadequate space and antiquated science labs.
McDermott’s first task as superintendent was to hire an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM).
“The project was a long, long time in the making,” said McDermott. “The environment of the building was hindering the academic programs, and the deeper you looked, the more obvious it became that we would have to design from scratch.”
And so, McDermott pushed for a new building. Even when faced with personal tragedy, his commitment to the project never wavered. In late February of this year, his daughter Maia, 21, was killed in a car crash, sending the family into shock and mourning.
“If it wasn’t for the project, I don’t know if I could have taken the step to go to work,” said McDermott. “My personal loss – the death of my daughter – didn’t have an end. The project did. We were so close. I couldn’t let anything impact that.”
Weeks later, in March, the MSBA voted to approve the construction of a new Tahanto Regional Middle/High School. On May 21, MSBA Chairman and State Treasurer Tim Cahill and MSBA Executive Director Katherine Craven presented McDermott with a check for $21.2 million, representing the maximum grant the MSBA has agreed to pay for the construction project.
At the event, Craven praised McDermott for remaining steadfast throughout the process.“It’s a testament to his love for all of you that this school is being built,” Craven said to the students in attendance.
“This building is for you,” said McDermott. “The overwhelming support for this project is a strong message from the communities saying, ‘We value your education.’”
“It’s good to see we’re here after 10 years,” said state Sen. Harriette Chandler, who represents nine communities, including Berlin and Boylston. “This is a long-awaited and much-needed opportunity for the school district to have the resources it needs to keep pace with its excellence in education.”
The district is currently in the detailed design phase. Preliminary plans call for the construction of a well-segmented middle school and high school, each with its own separate wing for classrooms and main entrance to the building. The complex will feature large common areas for school events and community use, several technology and science labs, a modern media center and library, an auditorium, a multi-purpose room for large assemblies, band and chorus rooms and physical fitness spaces.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2011.