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Date: 10/19/2022
WESTFIELD — State Sen. John Velis visited Westfield High School on Oct. 11 with a presentation check for $1,005,000 in funds included in the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget that was passed by the Senate and House and signed into law by the governor earlier this summer.
Most of the funds, $1 million, will go toward renovations at the high school, including improvements to the science labs, tennis courts and school security.
The remaining $5,000 will benefit Westfield High School’s Community Closet. The Community Closet supports numerous WHS students and families by providing clothing, foods and personal care items for anyone who needs them. WHS English teacher Jill Keenan, who runs the Community Closet, said the funds will be used to purchase a washer and dryer, among other items.
Velis said the funding was a team effort, after many conversations with Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and Mayor Michael McCabe, asking them what was needed. He said Czaporowski talked about improvements in the science labs, and Velis said he knew first-hand about the tennis courts, which he played on when he attended the school in the late 1990s, and which needed work back then. He also said he never would have imagined back then the security concerns in the schools today.
“The school needs a little work. It is near to my heart, I love this community,” Velis said.
Velis added that when he found out about the Community Closet and that it makes needed items available to any student, he wanted to help them, also. He said programs like that can really help the mental health of students.
Czaporowski said over 40 percent of students at WHS are economically disadvantaged, a figure that he expects will go up because of financial inflation.
McCabe said his mantra is “once a Bomber, always a Bomber,” referring to the high school’s mascot. He said he graduated before Velis and played on the same tennis courts.
“It’s cool to be able to get a phone call asking what you need,” he said of Velis.
WHS Principal Charles Jendrysik thanked Velis for the funding, which he said was needed.
“Thank you for everything you do,” Jendrysik said.