TwiMay 8, 2024
Dear Worcester Public Schools Families,
We are writing to clarify information about the availability of drinking water in our schools. First and foremost, all students and staff have access to drinking water in school buildings. In addition, Worcester Public Schools (WPS) is in the process of installing approximately 100 water bottle filling stations in schools throughout the district this year.
As a result of a state audit and to reduce costs and environmental impact, the district will no longer provide individual, disposable water bottles to schools for free. This practice began during the COVID-19 pandemic and was intended to be supplemental in nature.
The only schools that will continue to receive individual plastic water bottles will be McGrath Elementary School, Rice Square Elementary School, and Head Start Mill Swan because there is no drinking water access in those three facilities.
The remaining schools or program sites are grouped into two categories:
- Group A: There are bottle filling stations and/or water fountains in school.
- Group B: Water fountains or faucets are safe to drink from, but there are no bottle filling stations.
Group A schools or program sites:
- Worcester Alternative School
- Belmont Street Community School
- Burncoat High School
- Burncoat Middle School
- Burncoat Street Preparatory Academy
- Clark Street Community School
- Claremont Academy
- Doherty Memorial High School
- Flagg Street Elementary School
- Gerald Creamer Center
- Challenge and Reach Academy (Harlow Street)
- Nelson Place Elementary School
- North High School
- Roosevelt Elementary School
- South High Community School
- Sullivan Middle School
- Thorndyke Road Elementary School
- University Park Campus School
- Woodland Academy
- Worcester East Middle School
Group B schools or program sites:
- Canterbury Street Elementary School
- Chandler Elementary School
- Chandler Magnet Elementary School
- City View Elementary School
- Columbus Park Elementary School
- Elm Park Community School
- Fanning Building
- Foley Stadium
- Forest Grove Middle School
- Gates Lane Elementary School
- Goddard Elementary School
- Grafton Street Elementary School
- Head Start Greendale
- Head Start Millbury Street
- Heard Street Academy
- Jacob Hiatt Magnet School
- Lake View Elementary School
- Lincoln Street Elementary School
- May Street Elementary School
- Midland Street Elementary School
- New Citizens Center at New Ludlow
- Norrback Avenue Elementary School
- Quinsigamond Elementary School
- Tatnuck Elementary School
- Union Hill Elementary School
- Vernon Hill Elementary School
- Wawecus Road Elementary School
- West Tatnuck Elementary School
- Worcester Arts Magnet School
- Worcester Technical High School
If you have any questions, please email Ashley Gaboriault Hayes, Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition.
Sincerely,
WPS Nutrition Department