BPS Holds Off On Redistricting Plan, For Now

Boston’s school superintendent has tabled a cost-saving measure that would have limited busing and school choice.

The plan would have redrawn school zones in Boston, shrinking the number of choices in each zone. Critics said the change would have disproportionately affected neighborhoods with a high concentration of failing schools.

“What I think the community told us is they want a clear sense that we’re going to deal with underperforming schools,” Superintendent Carol Johnson said at Wednesday night’s school committee meeting, explaining her decision.

Johnson said she’s going back to the drawing board. She’s looking for ways to save money on transportation, which costs the city $100 million a year. She’s also devising a timeline to turn around the approximately 50 underperforming schools in the district.