
WESTFIELD — Starting in the new innovation lab in a former woodshop on the ground floor of Westfield High School, and proceeding to the science classrooms on the second and third floors, Mayor Michael McCabe, state Sen. John Velis, City Councilor Ralph Figy, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski, WHS Principal Charles Jendrysik, Science Technology and Engineering Supervisor Lauren Cadigan and others toured the school’s newly refurbished science labs on March 10.
The renovations were kickstarted by a $1 million earmark in the 2023 state budget by Velis, who was the hero of the hour. McCabe thanked him as he introduced him before the tour, and Velis responded, saying long after the earmark has passed, the student and science teachers will be the ones making the difference. “One thing that’s not lost on me — this was an easy job. This is really important,” the Westfield Democrat said.