Haverhill Council Backs Whittier Tech-Northern Essex Shared Campus Proposal

HAVERHILL — April 8, 2025 — Haverhill City Council unanimously backed a proposed shared campus between Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School and Northern Essex Community College, with a July 1 deadline looming for all 11 member communities to sign on. Whittier Superintendent Maureen Lynch and Northern Essex President Lane Glenn presented the plan at the April 8 council meeting, describing a model that would place a new Whittier facility on roughly 14 state-owned acres at the Northern Essex campus, avoiding land acquisition costs and unlocking new funding streams including the governor's proposed $2.5 billion Bright Act capital bond. Lynch said 856 of Whittier's 1,285 students come from Haverhill, and councilors cited expanded local enrollment as a top priority. Glenn told the council that 10 of the 11 member communities are already favorably inclined and the 11th was scheduled to meet with organizers the following day. A feasibility study, the cost of which falls entirely on the district, is expected to begin around June 2026 if MSBA eligibility is secured.