New Bedford Mayor Mitchell Proposes Naming School Health Center After Bruce Oliveira

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — Mayor Jon Mitchell has proposed to the New Bedford School Committee that one of the school department’s newest buildings be named in honor of Bruce Oliveira, the longtime school committee member who passed away last month.

READ MORE: New Bedford School Committee Member Bruce Oliveira Passes Away

Mitchell said in his weekly appearance on WBSM Wednesday he proposed naming the school health center that is under construction on the east side of New Bedford High School in honor of Oliveira.

Bruce Oliveira’s Impact on New Bedford Schools and Beyond

“He played a big part in getting that project off the ground,” Mitchell said. “One of the things he brought to the school committee that was so important was not only his background in finance but also a background in construction. Projects were done better by the school department because of his influence, and done less expensively.”

Mitchell said he had been considering naming something for Oliveira even before his passing, considering his years of service on the school committee, on the board of the New Bedford Housing Authority, the New Bedford Port Society, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Whaling City Youth Baseball and so much more.

“It’s really hard to overstate his contributions to the city, so for that reason, I had intended to find something to name in his honor, some school property to carry his name forward in recognition of all those contributions. I didn’t get the chance to do that while he was still here,” Mitchell said.

He said the idea came about when Oliveira said he wasn’t going to seek another term on the school committee. His current term was slated to expire at the end of 2027.

“I figured we would do it toward the end of the term, but we never got to that point,” Mitchell said.

READ MORE: New Bedford High Could See New School-Based Health Center

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Details of the New Health Center Project

The school health center was first announced in 2022, and is being constructed using federal funds. Once it opens, students from across the district can utilize its services, with the students’ own health insurance covering the cost of treatment, whether through their parents’ private insurance or if the student is covered by MassHealth.

READ MORE: New Bedford Wins Round 1 in Fight Over Federal Funding

Mitchell emphasized that honoring Oliveira is not something he wants to do just because he passed away suddenly.

“As I mentioned, this was already in the works before Bruce’s death, and it's entirely on the merits, not out of sentimentality, however understandable that might be,” he said.

“There is a very natural and understandable tendency to honor people who we like who died suddenly. Sometimes, and you've seen things in cities, including here from time to time, named for people who passed,” Mitchell said. “But that can’t be the reason. Because you miss them so is not a reason to name something. You honor people with these naming opportunities, naming events because they’ve contributed something significant, and you want future generations to understand that and emulate that behavior.”

Process for Naming the Facility

Mitchell said naming the health center after Oliveira will require a vote by the school committee, and it will have to go through a subcommittee process.

Applying for Oliveira’s Vacant Seat

City residents who wish to fill the school committee seat vacated by Oliveira’s passing are invited to submit a letter expressing their intent to apply to Janet Barbosa at Janet.Barbosa@newbedford-ma.gov by December 31. All applications will be distributed to a joint committee, chaired by Mayor Mitchell, of the New Bedford City Council and the remaining members of the school committee.

Candidates will have an opportunity at a January 7 meeting in the city council chambers to make a statement in support of their candidacy. After the presentations, the joint convention will be open for nominations. The convention will then vote on nominees until a nominee has received a majority vote.