When Joseph Petty announced his first run for Mayor of Worcester in 2011, he kicked off his campaign outside of Burncoat High School.
Fourteen years and seven terms as mayor later, Petty returned to Burncoat High School to announce his reelection and promised that the six-decade-old building would be replaced with a more up-to-date school.
“When I first announced my candidacy to be your mayor, I stood outside Burncoat High School and I promised to be the ‘mayor of the schools’ to help rebuild our educational infrastructure,” Petty said.
Surrounded by local elected officials and his supporters, Petty kicked off his campaign for mayor on Tuesday afternoon. During his kickoff, he recommitted his promise that the city would build a new Burncoat Middle School and high school.
The two schools, located on Burncoat Street, are connected and a replacement project would have to include both schools. The buildings were built in the 1960s, according to Petty.
During Petty’s tenure as mayor, Worcester saw four high schools replaced with newer buildings.
The high schools that were replaced were North High School, Worcester Technical High School, South High School and most recently, Doherty Memorial High School.
Petty said the Burncoat Middle School and the high school are outdated and need to be replaced for future generations.
“Burncoat High School will be another pillar in our improved educational infrastructure,” Petty said.
Standing alongside Petty was Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who introduced the mayor at his kickoff event.
Driscoll, who was once the Mayor of Salem, expressed her support for Petty at the event.
“Worcester is so fortunate to have somebody like Joe at the helm,” Driscoll said.
Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty and Massachusetts Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll at Petty’s campaign kickoff event.Adam Bass
The Burncoat High and Burncoat Middle School replacement project is estimated to cost $500 million, according to a communication that City Manager Eric D. Batista sent to the city council in November 2024.
Last year, the city council voted in favor of a $3 million loan authorization for the project, according to the city council minutes.
The loan is for the project’s feasibility study with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, according to Batista.
The authority helps fund the construction of school buildings in Massachusetts. The MSBA invited Worcester to be part of an eligibility study to determine if the district is ready to manage and fund a major capital project—in this case, the Burncoat schools replacements.
After the eligibility study, the project moves into the feasibility study, Batista said. During that time, the proposed project will be developed by a designer and an Owners Project Manager, according to Batista.
Borrowing for the project could increase the city’s debt by 25%, Batista wrote.
Nevertheless, Petty is committed to seeing the replacement of the Burncoat Middle School and high school and said if the city keeps a “tight budget,” the project can be done.
“It’s important that we do it,” Petty said. “No matter what.”
A working group dedicated to the project will meet sometime in May, Petty said.
Petty calls for a stable hand amid national chaos
Supporters for Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty gather at Burncoat High School for his campaign kickoff.Adam Bass
Replacing both Burncoat schools was not the only pledge Petty made during his campaign kickoff.
The mayor promised to address the homelessness crisis by pledging to expand affordable housing options. Petty called homelessness a crisis “we did not create, but a crisis we must address.”
The mayor said that the city needs steady leadership and said the country is in “troubling” times.
“Chaos reigns in Washington,” Petty said. “We must not let it happen in Worcester.”
Petty is running against City Council Vice Chair and City Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King, who announced his candidacy for mayor in February. The two previously faced off against each other in 2023, with Petty ending up the victor in the contest.
In his announcement, King said that Worcester cannot “become another unaffordable extension of Boston.”
“City Hall is failing you. There is no real leadership, no accountability to residents, and the divisive politics is causing dysfunction. Meanwhile, housing prices and the cost of living are pushing both long term and newer residents out,” King wrote.
The municipal election will take place on Nov. 4.
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