Senate Minority Whip Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), Senator Frederick E. Berry (D - Peabody) and Senator Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen) announced today that a proposal to provide $100,000 for the development of architectural and schematic design plans for a new vocational school at Essex Aggie has been included in the Capital Improvements Bond Bill approved by the Senate. The design plans would facilitate the merger of the Essex Agricultural and Technical High School, North Shore Technical High School and the Peabody Vocational School into one regional technical/agricultural high school at the Essex Aggie campus in Danvers.

"This is a major step in the construction of a first rate vocational school on the North Shore, " said Senator Berry. "I am very excited to be involved in this project, and I am confident that we will soon be providing students with the quality of technical and agricultural education that they deserve."

The Capital Improvements Bond Bill is intended to provide funding for a variety of capital projects, including those related to economic development, public safety and public health. The total amount of the authorizations contained in the bill passed by the Senate is $628.5 million.

The bill, as amended, will now be sent to the House of Representatives for its consideration.