Tahanto Regional High School

Tahanto Regional Middle/High School
File:Tahanto Regional High School Stag.jpg
Address
1001 Main Street Boylston, Massachusetts United States
Coordinates	42.3712°N 71.7212°W / 42.3712; -71.7212
Information
Type	Public Open enrollment
School district	Berlin-Boylston
Principal	Chris Covino
Faculty	45.8 (2014–2015)
Grades	6–12
Enrollment	584 (2016–17)
Student to teacher ratio	12.0 to 1 (2014–2015)
Color(s)	Green and white
Mascot	Stag
Budget	$9,258,859 total $14,778 per pupil (2016)
Website	https://www.bbrsd.org/Domain/10

Tahanto Regional Middle/High School is a public middle school and high school located in Boylston, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2012 rankings of U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools, it ranked as number 45 within Massachusetts. The school serves grades 6-12 with a student to teacher ratio of 12:1.

New construction

Planning stage

Based on a feasibility study performed in 2007 by Berlin-Boylston Regional School District, a recommendation for new construction of Tahanto Regional Middle/High School versus renovation was accepted by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) as the more cost-effective option. It was additionally determined by affirmative town vote to move the 6th grade students from the two district elementary schools to the new building to create a "school within a school" approach.

Breaking ground

The groundbreaking ceremony took place in May of 2011 for the new two-story, 126,100 square-foot facility. The new building is designed to serve 560 students from grades 6 through 12. A proposed U-shaped design was planned, with the two wings housing the middle and high schools, and the central core accommodating the auditorium, gymnasium, and cafeteria.

New school opens

The newly constructed $32.2M building opened its doors to students in grades 6 through 12 on January 3, 2013. The sixth-grade classes made the move from their respective elementary schools the following September. One major focus of the new building was to integrate new technology, such as Smart Boards (whiteboards that can be manipulated digitally), common spaces for students to meet in as groups, and the ability to provide a middle school experience within a larger school setting.

Academics

Courses are offered on four levels: Advanced Placement (AP), Honors, College Preparatory, and Life Skills - Vocational. The class rank is determined using a process determined by weight of class and the cumulative average of all courses completed, with the exception of Physical Education. Graduation requirements include passing scores on the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) in areas of English, Language Arts, Mathematics, and Biology. Students must earn 110 credits to graduate, and must also pass a health course and computer literacy test. Beginning in 2014, students are further required to pass a Technology class.

The Class of 2019 brought high academic achievement to Tahanto. The valedictorian was Mischka Altucher and the salutatorians were Macy Jones and Neil Schaffer.

Athletics

Tahanto Regional High School received the District E Sportsmanship Award in 2009. Presented annually at the MIAA Sportsmanship Summit, this award serves to encourage and promote sportsmanship, integrity and ethics at all levels of interscholastic competition.

In 2016 the football team, held by West Boylston High School, and led by Tahanto senior Cole McCubrey, went 10-2 on the season. McCubrey led the team with 1,725 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. West Boylston won the Central Massachusetts District Championship on the backs of key players from Tahanto including Cole McCubrey, Tom Doerr, James Mongeau, Ryan Mott, and Nick Gumina. The team lost to Wachonna in the state semifinals. McCubrey became the first Tahanto student to receive a D1 scholarship to play football. He currently attends UMASS Amherst.

The 2016 Tahanto golf team fell short of a districts berth, but was able to secure second place in Leagues. Led by seniors Paul Ferrecchia, Brian Looney (Captains), Kees Van den Bosch, and Colton Valchius, Tahanto finished with a 4-4 league record and a 5-8 record overall. Juniors Sam Pendergast and Kevin Bellino were instrumental in the success of the Tahanto Golf team. Senior Paul Ferrecchia lead the team with an average 39 over 9 holes, and an average score of 5.2. This earned his league MVP and All star.

In 2017 the Tahanto baseball team went a perfect 20-0 (23-1 in total) in the regular season led by seniors Holden Lutz, Ryan Grady, Ben Gugliemino, Colton Valchius, Trevor Sasso, John Matthews, and Scott Wheeler. The team won the D4 Central Massachusetts District Championship in 2017, beating Sutton 8-7, making this the school's second baseball title, and its first since 1993. The team rallied from a 5-0 deficit, and scored 7 straight and never looked back. The team later lost to St Mary 4-0 to end their post-season run.

The 2016–2017 school year was the best ever for Tahanto, with them claiming two Central Mass championships.

The Tahanto girls' varsity soccer team was League Champions in both 2017 and 2018.

In the fall of 2018, the boys' varsity cross country team took home the league championship after a tight championship race. The team, led by coach Patrick Minihan and Captains Cameron Barber and Neil Schaffer, also included Ryan Botsaris, Chris Langevin, Jack Stoffel, Ryan Gilmartin, Jared Forbes, Mitchell Danis, and Devin Ricker.

The high school offers fall, winter and spring sports programs that include girls' and boys' soccer, field hockey, basketball and softball. Also offered are golf, boys' and girls' lacrosse, cross country, football, cheerleading, baseball, wrestling, tennis, gymnastics, ice hockey, and track and field.

External links

• Official school website