Bridgewater Middle School renamed for educator Edward J. O'Donoghue

Bridgewater — Bridgewater Middle School was formally renamed the Edward J. O'Donoghue Middle School at a public dedication ceremony where elected officials, former colleagues and family members praised O'Donoghue's decades‑long work in local education.

The town council passed an order to rename the school, read aloud at the ceremony by Councilor Kevin Perry. Perry described O'Donoghue as “instrumental in the influx of new technology to the school district” and read the council's resolution renaming the building in recognition of his “lifetime commitment to educational excellence and the community.” The transcript does not include the council vote tally.

Ryan Powers, superintendent of the Bridgewater‑Raynham Regional School District, said of O'Donoghue: “Without OD, there would not be the BR that we know today.” Speakers at the event credited O'Donoghue with creating an alternative high school for students at risk of dropping out, leading the effort to regionalize multiple town school systems and serving more than 25 years as a teacher, administrator and superintendent.

Steve Hislop, introduced at the podium as a long‑time Bridgewater‑Raynham educator and administrator, said O'Donoghue became superintendent in 1989 and that his push to combine three school systems into one regional district produced “a significant increase in state funding for our towns.” Dennis Rodriguez, a former student and coach, described O'Donoghue's influence as lifelong and said he pushed students toward higher education and character development.

Former school committee chairman Arthur Wyman and state officials also appeared. State Senator Kelly Dooner delivered a citation from the Massachusetts Senate and said she associated O'Donoghue's work with “courage,” noting that regionalization made it possible for the district to have representation from two state senators. Evan Francis, an aide from U.S. Rep. Dennis C. Gallagher's office, read a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Diana O'Donoghue, the educator's daughter, said the renaming is “a lasting reminder of a man who dedicated his life to education and service” and thanked the school committee, administration and community for making the honor possible. Family members, former students and district leaders spoke about O'Donoghue's emphasis on integrity, hard work and putting students first.

The ceremony incorporated historical references from the district's past: speakers noted a building dedication for O'Donoghue in 2001, his role in creating an alternative high school, his 1989 appointment as superintendent, and the district's full regionalization of pre‑K through grade 12, which the town order cited as reaching an anniversary in the 2024–25 school year. The town order and the state citations were presented as part of the event; the town council action to rename the school was described in the ceremony as having been passed by the council, though the meeting transcript does not include the motion's mover, seconder or vote tally.

The renaming will attach O'Donoghue's name to the building where he worked and to future graduation classes who pass through the school. Organizers closed the public portion of the program with an invitation to continue the event inside the building.