Mayor Sarno, Springfield Public Schools, and Community Leaders to Celebrate Ribbon Cutting for New Amphitheatre at High School of Science and Technology
Springfield, MA – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Schools Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall, Springfield School and city leaders will gather on Thursday, May 21 at 10:30 a.m., to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the brand-new amphitheater at the High School of Science and Technology.
The celebration will feature student performances by the Sci-Tech band, aka The Pride of Springfield, student reflection, and remarks highlighting the impact of the new space as a hub for student expression and community connection.
The ceremony will conclude with a grand student performance and official ribbon cutting celebration, followed by refreshments.
The amphitheater represents the final major project tied to the City of Springfield and Springfield Public Schools’ districtwide school facility improvement efforts made possible through federal COVID relief funding, creating a vibrant new outdoor venue designed to serve students and communities across the district.
The brand-new $3 million Amphitheatre project at High School of Science and Technology was one of many facility enhancements made possible in Springfield with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall thanked Mayor Domenic Sarno and members of the School Committee for their long-term vision when determining the best use for ESSER funding. “This amphitheater will endure for decades to come. It is a lasting statement about what we believe our students deserve. Generations of students will enjoy this environment to showcase their creativity, their voice, and to build connections. Here begins a legacy that will live where belief comes to life through performance and celebration.”
“We allocated over $80M of ESSER funds directly to our schools to address learning loss and implement projects that would have a direct impact their school communities. We asked schools to dream-big, and this amphitheater, at the home of the “Pride of Springfield” is a great example of a project that will impact generations of students attending SciTech,” stated SPS Chief Financial and Operations Officer Patrick Roach.
“Thank you to SPS Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall, Parks and Facilities Executive Director Tom Ashe, Director of Buildings and Facilities Jon Carignan, SPS CFO Pat Roach for their efforts in upgrading and enhancing our schools,” stated Mayor Sarno. “Also, special thanks to Congressman Richard Neal for his efforts on the federal level to advocate and obtain these ESSER funds. These improvements will help our students and teachers excel both in and out of the classroom.”
“Our award-winning High School of Science and Technology Band, under the leadership of long-time SciTech Band Director, now Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Springfield Public Schools Gary Bernice, is truly the Pride of Springfield,” continued Mayor Sarno. “Not only do they win competitions, play major venues, and bring life and joy to many of our events, the student musicians use their time and talents to mentor younger students through music. Many SciTech band members join with no prior music experience, but with their hard work and supportive educators, they rise to challenge and produce beautiful music. There has also been a correlation with band participation and high marks in class. The SciTech school community has already had performances here at the new Amphitheatre and will continue to utilize this performance space to make art come alive.”
“Music is such an important part of the cultures of our families, and our city,” Springfield School Committee Vice Chair Latonia Monroe Naylor shared. “It is also a vital aspect of learning experience that often gets overlooked. This amphitheater marks the next season of great music coming from our students at Sci-Tech.”
Director of Parks, Buildings, and Recreation Management Tom Ashe stated, “We are proud to support the continued investments in our schools and our Springfield students. These major facilities upgrades across numerous schools underscores Mayor Sarno’s unwavering commitment to providing the best possible learning environments for students. I am proud of our team and the work they continue to do to make our school facilities a safe and positive place to learn and work.”
Director of Facilities Jon Carignan stated, “We worked closely with the Springfield Public Schools team to put this project together and provide something that the school community supported. I appreciate and commend Mayor Sarno and his administration on their strategic use of ESSER funds, as it is a tremendous benefit to be able to address so many facilities simultaneously, and we are proud that schools and neighborhoods throughout Springfield continue to see the results.”
“Unlike a number of other school districts who utilized ESSER funds for personnel type aspects, which now has caused them to needs to lay off staff and/or cut services and programs, we in Springfield concentrated on one-time enhancements that would benefit our students, their families, teachers, staff, administration now and in the future,” Mayor Sarno explained. “Something that was also very important to us was soliciting community input and input from our schools staff and administrations for ESSER funding priorities. Thank you to our schools community for your collaboration and support on this great investment.”