Shawsheen Tech needs a new building, but it might cost them their auto body repair program
By Aaron Parseghian, WBZ-TV
A vocational high school in Billerica, Massachusetts may be ending its successful auto body collision repair program.
The program at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School, which serves students from Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Tewksbury and Wilmington, could be eliminated as part of a plan for a new building that prioritizes other fields.
Superintendent Tony McIntosh said the school recently completed a Chapter 74 Program Viability Study that assessed enrollment and student interest.
Future of auto body at Shawsheen Tech
"Based on the study's findings, we are recommending to the School Committee that Auto Body (Auto-Collision) not be included in our future building program," McIntosh said in a statement. "Enrollment in that area has declined in recent years, and regional labor data show stronger student and workforce demand in other technical fields."
The recommendation came as a surprise to many with ties to the industry.
"It was a shock," said Rachel James, who has advocated to save auto body programs. "I think it's important that our community supports the school and finding a way to keep the program alive."
"Shutting this program down means that children are losing the opportunity to pursue this career path in that regional area of our state, and the businesses in our local community are going to be negatively affected as well.," James added.
For more than 50 years, Anchor Auto Body has repaired banged-up cars on the Woburn-Wilmington line relying on skilled technicians, many trained at Shawsheen Tech. Manager Leah Zacami said some of her best hires have come through the school's auto collision program.
"They are knowledgeable. They know what they're doing when they come in. They work hard," she said.
Aging auto repair workers
Industry leaders argue the demand for auto repair work remains strong, and the biggest issue right now is an aging workforce.
"The average technician at my shop is around 58 years old," said Patrick Tully, who owns a collision shop in Middleton and serves as an advisor for the Shawsheen program. "There's just a lot more that can be done instead of eliminating these programs. More education needs to be put into the programs to help save them."
Tully said the industry has changed dramatically over the past decade and trained workers are needed to perform work in the modern age.
"We do more with computers now than ever in the last five years, between electric cars and all the new technology coming out in these vehicles," Tully said. "It's a lot more than it used to be where people have this thought that it's just dark, dirty breathing dust all day and it's not like that anymore."
Supporters also say auto collision offers students valuable, debt-free career paths with high job placement rates.
"There's a lot of avenues for boys, girls, anybody in this field," Tully said.
The Shawsheen Valley Tech School Committee could decide the program's fate at its next meeting on Tuesday, October 28.
Superintendent on Shawsheen Tech programs
Here's the full statement from Superintendent Tony McIntosh:
"As part of our eligibility phase with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), Shawsheen Tech recently completed a required Chapter 74 Program Viability Study to assess enrollment trends, student interest, and workforce demand across all vocational programs.
Based on the study's findings, we are recommending to the School Committee that Auto Body (Auto-Collision) not be included in our future building program. Enrollment in that area has declined in recent years, and regional labor data show stronger student and workforce demand in other technical fields.
The study also identified several opportunities for growth. We are recommending the expansion of four high-demand programs including Electricity, HVAC-R, Medical Assisting, and Plumbing. We are also recommending the addition of two new programs: Biotechnology and Early Education & Care. In addition, we plan to merge our existing Design & Visual Communications and Graphic Communications programs to better align with industry needs and student interests.
These recommendations were reviewed and approved by the District's Curriculum Subcommittee and will be presented to the full School Committee for consideration on October 28, 2025. Our goal is to ensure that Shawsheen continues to offer programs that are relevant, forward-looking, and responsive to both student aspirations and the evolving needs of the regional workforce.