| Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Performing Arts Center | |
| Location | |
1050 Westminster Street , 01420 United States | |
| Coordinates | 42°33′38″N71°51′38″W / 42.56056°N 71.86056°W /42.56056; -71.86056 |
| Information | |
| Other name | Monty Tech |
| Type | Public,secondary,vocational,open enrollment |
| Established | 1965 (1965) |
| School district | Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District |
| Superintendent | Thomas Browne |
| NCES School ID | 250805002279[1] |
| Principal | Diana Carlson |
| Teaching staff | 119.0 (on anFTE basis)[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 1,417[3] (2024-2025) |
| • Grade 9 | 354 |
| • Grade 10 | 357 |
| • Grade 11 | 361 |
| • Grade 12 | 345 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 11.9[2] |
| Colors | Purple and gold |
| Athletics conference | Central Massachusetts Athletic Conference |
| Mascot | Bulldog |
| Nickname | Monty Tech |
| Accreditation | New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Budget | $34,817,665 total; $23,913 per pupil (2023)[4] |
| Website | www |
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, also known asMonty Tech, is a grade 9 (age 14–15) to grade 12 (age 17–18)public,secondary,vocational,open enrollment school[5] inFitchburg andWestminster,Massachusetts, United States. It provides training in 21 different trades and is the second largest vocational-technical school in Massachusetts.[6]
The school is operated by the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District, consisting of 18 towns, mainly inWorcester County.The school includes a childcare center, a restaurant,[7] and a veterinary clinic.[8] It also includes a performing arts center named after former Superintendent-Director Stratos G. Dukakis.[9]
On November 2, 1965, voters in tenMassachusetts communities approved a referendum to form the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District,[10][11] including the cities ofFitchburg andGardner, as well as the towns ofRoyalston,Winchendon,Ashburnham,Ashby,Barre,Phillipston,Hubbardston,Holden,Princeton, andLunenburg.[12] By the end of November, voters inSterling andWestminster had also voted to join the regional school.[13]
On July 18, 1966, the architecture firm of Korslund, LeNormand, and Quann of Norwood was selected to design the new school's facilities.[14] School construction was approved byGov. Francis Sargent in 1969, authorizing a bond issue.[10]Six years in planning and construction, the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School was approved for occupancy and opened its doors to about 600 students in September 1971.[10] By October 1974, enrollment had increased to 990 students, with 26% female students.[10]
In 1988 the Business Education Enrichment Fund was formed, which later became The Monty Tech Foundation. That year, the Fund held the first gala Superintendent's Dinner, a major fundraising event.[10]
The School Committee approved a bond issue in 1996 for major renovation and modernization. On May 17, 2000, the school dedicated the $17 million state-of-the-art addition, including the performing arts center, new gym and new classrooms.[10]
Accredited by theNew England Association of Schools and Colleges, Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School was last evaluated in April 2016, and the Committee's report is posted on the school's website.[15]
Monty Tech offers 21 programs that meet the definition of vocational-technical education contained in Massachusetts General Law Chapter 74[16] that also are approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education:
The school also emphasizes coursework in academic subjects. From 2007 to 2014, student performance on theMassachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System rose in English language arts from 65% to 95%, and in mathematics, from 62% to 74%.[19] The school had developed data teams of instructors who analyzed the results and made changes in educational strategies, also promoting collaboration between academic and vocational courses. In addition to hiring more tutors and expanding tutoring hours, the school has also hired teaching coaches who help with lesson plans, and building curriculum.[19] For the 2024-2025 school year, the average student/teacher ratio was 11.9, the same as the statewide average of 11.9.[2]
Monty Tech maintainsarticulation agreements with 9 post-secondary institution partners:Ben Franklin Institute of Technology,Johnson and Wales University,Newbury College,Vermont Technical College, Massachusetts Community Colleges,University of Northwestern Ohio, andNew England Institute of Technology.[15]
Monty Tech is home to multipleVEX Robotics teams: teams 562A, 562B, and 562C, known as S.P.A.R.K. The team consists of about 17 Monty Tech students and one instructor. The team regularly attends and has competed in robotics competitions since 2001.[20][21]
In 2011, students from Monty Tech became the first vocational-technical participants in the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, and designed experiments to be conducted on the International Space Station. A total of 9 experiments have been conducted including some milestone flights on the final Space Shuttle Atlantis and the first SpaceX commercial rocket.[10][22]
In 2002 Monty Tech established a Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (MCJROTC) Unit. In 2019 enrollment was over 190 students in grades 9 through 12. Monty Tech's MCJROTC unit's Cyber Security team has won national recognition at the Air Force Association's national youth challenge competition Cyber Patriot.
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School is a member of theCentral Massachusetts Athletic Conference, which is in District 2 of theMassachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). The school offers the following MIAA-sanctionedVarsity sports during their respective seasons, as well as Freshman andJunior Varsity teams in multiple sports:[23]
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