Private Catholic vo-tech under development in Massachusetts

A private co-ed Catholic high school focused on vocational education is in the works in a Boston suburb.

Don Bosco Trade High School is being developed at the site of the former Saint Jerome Elementary School in North Weymouth, Massachusetts. It aims to open by the fall of 2027 to help meet the state’s growing demand for vocational education.

“This unique institution will combine a traditional college-preparatory education with hands-on training in trades like electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, and HVAC,” the organization Catholic Weymouth, which also ran Saint Jerome Elementary, said in a Facebook post. “Supported by local leaders, alumni, and community members, the school aims to offer students a direct path into high-level trade careers.” 

The school will be named for the now-closed Don Bosco Technical High School, a private all-boys Catholic vo-tech high school that existed in Boston from 1946 to 1998. The new school will operate 12 miles south of Boston. 

The Don Bosco school board includes some of the old high school’s notable alumni, such as former New England Patriots linebacker Steve DeOssie and former state Rep. Paul Gannon, D-Boston. 

“Don Bosco Trade envisions a revolutionary type of secondary education for students interested in the trades – one that will merge both a traditional, subject-based curriculum with skills that allow for high-level trade competency, directly from high school,” its website says. “As such, Don Bosco Trade will remain a fully integrated Catholic, college-preparatory and trade-focused high school – the only one of its kind in the area.”

The school hasn’t announced tuition rates or how many students it plans to enroll.  

The demand for vocational high schools outpaces the supply in Massachusetts, where about 40% of vo-tech student applicants are rejected, mostly because of a lack of seats, according to New England Law Review.

It comes as the College of St. Joseph the Worker in Steubenville, Ohio, opened earlier this school year with a mission to blend Catholic formation and hands-on technical training.  

The six-year Ohio program aims to produce graduates who are grounded in their faith, equipped with practical skills, and free from the burden of student debt. It’s part of a growing trend among Catholic institutions rejecting the standard college model in favor of something more rooted, affordable and purposeful.