by Qinglong Diep
LOWELL – The Lowell City Council voted unanimously this past Tuesday night to name the Student Services Center at Lowell High School after William J. Samaras, a former Mayor, City Councilor, and Head of School.
The motion, put forth by City Councilors Danny Rourke and Vesna Nuon, passed unanimously.
Among his lasting accomplishments as noted in Councilor Rourke’s remarks on the floor, Samaras started a freshman academy and created the Latin Lyceum program, which he insisted be open to every student regardless of background.
He also established the first full-time adult basic education program and championed the introduction of school resource officers, a partnership with the Lowell Police Department that later expanded citywide.
Councilor Nuon credited Samaras with receiving the Patrick J. Morgan Award in 2022, given for promoting Lowell as an educative city, and highlighted his ongoing role in the Lowell Learning City initiative.
The discussion leading up to the vote featured a number of people speaking in support.
David Slattery, academic chair for physical education, health and wellness at Lowell High and a 1989 graduate, noted that during Samaras’ tenure at the high school, he helped raise more than $4.5 million in scholarships for students through partnerships with local businesses, hospitals, banks and community organizations. The school was also ranked among the top 25 urban high schools in the country under his watch.
“Bill has dedicated 44 years of service to the Lowell Public Schools as a teacher, administrator, and ultimately the head of school,” Slattery said. “He understood that student success extends beyond academics and worked to ensure that students had access to support, opportunities, and resources they needed to thrive. This new space reflects many of the values Bill championed throughout his career — compassion, inclusion, opportunity, and a commitment to helping every student succeed,” he said. “Naming this space in his honor would be a fitting recognition for his years of dedicated service.”
Former Lowell Police Commissioner Edward Davis, who served as police chief during a period of heightened gang activity near the school, recalled Samaras as an indispensable partner in keeping students safe.
“I’ve never met anyone so committed to the school children in this city,” Davis said. “Bill stepped up and really supported the idea of using school resource officers in the school. He and I stood shoulder-to-shoulder in providing the appropriate level of police presence.”
Councilor Rourke acknowledged that he and Samaras had been on opposing sides of the contentious Lowell High School location debate in 2016 and 2017. He said the experience ultimately underscored Samarass character.
“In 2016, a number of my colleagues would have never guessed I’d be filing a motion to honor Bill Samaras,” said Rourke. “But that has to go towards who the man is. He had his reasons and we had ours. You could disagree with him. Bill is a good person. He has a good heart.”
Rourke noted that Samaras later volunteered his services to the group advocating for a Cawley Stadium locations, working alongside them to revitalize the athletic facilities. The site is now under development.
Samaras was also recognized for introducing bilingual and Cambodian-language programming into the school’s curriculum, an accomplishment that drew particular praise from Councilor Sidney Liang, himself a 1989 Lowell High graduate.
The motion now heads over to the Lowell School Committee to continue the process. That step which will likely occur July 15, 2026 during the committees next scheduled meeting.
