The new Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River, Mass., will soon begin to take shape now that the project reached a key milestone in its development Nov. 3 with a ceremonial groundbreaking.
Attendees gathered at the site of the future school for an event reaffirming the ideals for which the new facility will stand, including enhancing the student experience and benefitting the communities of Westport, Swansea, Somerset and Fall River — all of which send students to the vocational-technical school.
"Today we stand on the threshold of a new and promising chapter of our community's educational journey," said Brian Bentley, superintendent of the Greater Fall River Vocational School District (GFRVSD), which partnered with local and state school building authorities to get the project under way.
The ceremony bolstered the district's mission to provide students with a 21st-century learning environment, he added, allowing them to excel in all aspects of the academic and vocational realm.
"We are not just breaking ground. We are breaking barriers," Bentley added.
According to the Fall River Herald News, one of the main criticisms of the present building is that it is far too small to hold the school's 1,450 students. By contrast, the new four-story structure will increase Diman's square footage by more than 50 percent.
The original school was built in the 1960s for 800 students, but the new facility will accommodate an enrollment capacity of 1,500 students in grades nine through 12.
Additionally, it will include a large entry plaza, centrally located parking areas to serve both the school and the athletic facilities, a gymnasium, auditorium, classrooms, science labs and special education spaces.
Large shops also will be built for Diman's variety of vocational disciplines, including manufacturing, engineering, technology, construction, transportation, business, consumer services, health services, culinary arts and graphics communications.
To assist in paying for the new school, the Massachusetts School Building Authority has agreed to reimburse around 51 percent of the total $300 million project cost.
Aging School Overdue for Replacement
Suffolk Construction, a nationwide building contractor based in Boston, and the same company that oversaw construction on the new Durfee High School in Fall River, is heading up the Diman project, noted Business Wire.
Construction is set to last for 30 months, according to district leaders, who are planning an official ribbon-cutting for the summer of 2026 just before students head back to school that September.
The current Diman building has been in use since 1968, but school officials told the Herald News the new one should last another 60 years.
After the new school opens, work to demolish the old building will commence.
"Suffolk is honored to partner with the School Building Committee, the GFRVSD, and the Massachusetts School Building Authority to cement the innovative vision of the new Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School into reality," said Keith Couch, Northeast Region general manager of Suffolk. "This cutting-edge facility will allow Diman to continue to provide an unparalleled technical vocational education experience, connecting students with their passions and subsequently unlocking career paths that build the foundation for the success of the future workforce."
During the groundbreaking, shout-outs went to Massachusetts State Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D), who worked to secure $200 million in funding to supplement school building projects across the state that were hit hard by COVID-related increases in construction costs, including more than $20 million for the Diman project.
In a speech, he said that discussions on how to address Diman's aging building have been happening for 15 years.
Now, with the new building becoming a reality, he predicted, "Diman will absolutely be the best vocational technical high school in all of Massachusetts."
Echoes of the Past
The Herald News reported that the ceremonial beginning of Diman's construction was a full-circle moment for people whose connections to the school stretch back decades. They had a shovel at the ready once used by John Harrington, the Fall River regional school district's first superintendent, to break ground on the current building in 1963.
And at least one person in attendance was also involved in the building of the old facility.
Gerry Murphy was the lead construction superintendent for the building that opened in 1968 when he worked for Wescott Construction. For the event, he came from his home in Florida to accompany his daughter, Maureen Murphy, now the director of planning for Suffolk Construction, and heavily involved with constructing the new school.
"I'm so happy to be back here," said the elder Murphy, who also worked on the nearby Fall River wastewater treatment plant.
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