Walsh Halts Proposal To Convert Boston's Dearborn School Into A Charter

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is halting a controversial proposal to convert the Dearborn School into a charter.

Last June, city and state officials celebrated the approval of $70 million to tear down the stately building and replace it with the city’s first STEM school, for grades 6 through 12.

But the city's school department in July proposed the charter conversion over concerns the Dearborn's under-performing status could prompt a state takeover.

Tito Jackson, the Boston City Council's education committee chair, says the mayor's decision puts the brakes on the proposal.

"He saw a flawed process, a flawed recommendation," Jackson said. "What we now have to do is roll up our sleeves and craft a plan to turn this school around."

Still, some neighborhood activists are fighting any plans to rebuild the school. Those critics are concerned with preserving the building for its historical value.