October 10, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
The School Committee accepted $100,000 from the Hingham Sports Partnership during a recent meeting as part of a larger donation to use as seed money to begin the procurement process for the construction of “The Dock,” a new fitness and wellness facility at Hingham High School.
In accordance with state law, all grants and gifts to school districts must be reviewed and accepted by the School Committee before the funds can be spent.
In October 2022, HSP launched a $1.5 million fundraising campaign to bring the project to reality. The plan involves transforming the old concession stand building near the track into a 2,500-square-foot state-of-the-art facility accessible to all high school students.
Last month, HSP announced that it had received an anonymous $150,000 gift in support of the effort — the largest donation to date. The HSP Board was “so moved by this level of generosity that we voted to make an additional $150,000 contribution” to the project, HSP Board President Deb McCarthy said at that time.
“HSP donated $100,000 for now in order to give money to get the project started,” School Committee Chair Nes Correnti told the Hingham Anchor following the meeting. “The school administration needs to go through the process of finding an architect to have renderings completed and to come up with an estimate of the project. The $100,000 is going to help kickstart that process. HSP will continue to send [the remainder of the $150,000 donation] at each phase of the project.”
In 2021, the School Committee heard a presentation from HSP regarding a proposal to revitalize an existing structure located adjacent to the Hingham High School gymnasium entrance. “The objective was to transform this structure, originally a concession stand and currently used for storage, into a functional health and wellness center, accessible to all high school students,” Chair Nes Correnti told the Hingham Anchor.
Over the years, there have been ongoing discussions about the necessity of such a facility, “with previous plans even drafted for an expansion at the High School,” Correnti recalled. “However, due to the prioritization of a number of other essential school projects — including the construction of a new elementary school and a window project at Plymouth River School — the development of such a center was postponed.”
This donation “will allow the district to kick off the project. I think this is a win/win for our students and community,” Correnti said. “Given the ongoing mental health challenges prevalent nationwide, this initiative offers a wonderful opportunity to establish a welcoming space for all students to exercise, socialize, and learn. We deeply appreciate the invaluable contributions that HSP makes on behalf of our students and community.”
To make a donation, go to https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QP3V3SMSG3678.
Working with the town, School Committee, and High School leadership, the goal is for the project to be completed and ready for student use by December 2024.