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NRSD History

In the early 1950's, several area towns bantered the notion of combining into regional districts (legislation creating regional school districts in Massachusetts was enacted in 1949), but no such alliance was formed until 1955, when Phillipston, Templeton, and Royalston entered into a pair of agreements forming the Narragansett Regional School District -- a grade 7 through 12 alliance -- and School Union No. 1, covering elementary students.
Royalston never joined the Narragansett district: their high school students attended Athol High School.

In 1977, Athol and Royalston formed a unified district, and School Union No. 1 was ended. Since that time, the pre-kindergarten through grade twelve Narragansett Regional School District has flourished under superintendents Richard V. MacNamara, Willard J. Chiasson (formerly Elementary Supervisor for Union No. 1), and William M. Turner (former principal of Baldwinville Elementary School.).

Tribulations of a growing populus

When Narragansett High School was built in 1958, it replaced the Baldwinville High School (which became the Baldwinville Elementary School), housing 7th through 12th grade students from Phillipston and Templeton. The Templeton High School is a remarkable brick edifice which boasted of a "state of the art" ventilation and heating/cooling system driven by a giant fan which forced air across rows of "fins" and into a central duct chase.

The new (regional) high school was built with a flat roof, with intentions that it could be expanded vertically if and when necessary. Over the years, codes and laws made this solution improbable and then impossible. The flat roof, predictably, has been a source of irritation and reconstruction woes over the years.

In the early 1960's, a ground swell for a middle school brought mixed reactions from various sectors of the district. The school district owned sufficient land adjoining the Narragansett High School, but the motion was lost, largely due to residents of Phillipston who held that their elementary children should attend school in their own community.
In the late 1980's, another committee formed, and suggested a K-12 facility to replace the overextended high school and the aging elementary schools. Various sites were entertained, including one on grounds owned by the "Protestant Youth Center," formerly the "Baldwinville Hospital Cottages." This megacomplex would be a small city in itself, with a golf course, pharmacy, dry cleaner, beauty salon, and several other amenities that were sure to win favor and acclaim.
The committee, however, recommended a K-8 facility behind the current High School. This project was voted down squarely.

The New High School

The 1990's brought another committee into action. Strong business minded individuals organized this effort carefully, considering both financial and political aspects. Finally, an overwhelmingly positive vote launched the district into planning of a new senior high school adjoining the present facility. The present facility would then be converted into a middle school, grades 5 through 8.

After two years of planning, the construction would finally start. Marty Goulet was brought in as Clerk of the Works to oversee and engineer the project. First, it was necessary to re-route the septic system around the front of the school. This consisted of seemingly endless dynamiting through mountains of subterranean ledge.

As of the beginning of school in September, 1997, the blasting had just started, and the prediction was made that the new facility would be ready for education on September 1, 1998. Subsequent renovation of the current building is then expected to be completed by September 1, 1999.

'Gansett and the age of Technology

As would be expected, a major consideration in the district has been in the area of "technology," interpreted to mean "computers." The new high school and the newly refreshed middle school will have scores of "drops" for students and staff. Computer equipment is being actively pursued, by grants, donations, and out-and-out purchase.
In the elementary schools, the computer acquisition program is following suit. Thus far, two elementary schools have been "internet wired" by a group of volunteers and staff, using mostly donated cable and components. All the schools now have multiple internet accounts, but each has only one "dedicated" telephone line.

Unity and Division

Since the inception of the district (and Union No. 1), teachers have been represented by one association. First named Templeton Teachers Association and then Narragansett District Education Association (affiliated with Mass Teachers Association and National Education Association), district teachers have always been "unified" in this respect. Even so, the district has historically functioned educationally as two distinct units: elementary and secondary. In 1985, the first "K - 12" department was created (for music), but all other "departments" are still defined "7 - 12" units.

The advent of "school rule" under the new Educational Reform Act (in which each individual school is "governed" by its own school council) has augmented the sort of "cellophane wall" between sections of the district. Possibly, the new "Siamese" construction and renovation of the system will help educators and administrators in the system to interact more easily.

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