Boston Public Schools to propose closures of several schools

Boston Public Schools officials announced the proposed closures of four schools by the end of the 2025-2026 school year in a virtual press conference Tuesday morning.

BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper said the district intends to shutter the K-6 Dever Elementary in Dorchester; Excel High School in South Boston; Mary Lyon Pilot High in Brighton; and the high school diploma-granting portion of Community Academy, a small alternative high school in Jamaica Plain.

Skipper first told families on Monday evening in a letter obtained by WBUR about the plan to close the Dever.

She also notified families of Excel High students on Monday that the South Boston school will be among those set to close, a letter sent by the district and posted to social media showed. It serves nearly 400 students in grades 9 to 12.

In her letters, Skipper previewed broader changes planned for the district. She wrote that the recommended closures are "part of a package of proposals that includes a number of school closures, a merger, and plans for grade reconfigurations" that would take effect for the 2026-27 school year if approved by the Boston School Committee.

In her Tuesday remarks, Skipper also announced a proposed merger of the Winthrop and Clap elementary schools in the building occupied by Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, which is scheduled to close at the end of this school year.

The Boston School Committee would need to approve the recommendations and will review them on Jan. 22.

The moves mark the first announcements of school closures since district officials indicated they could shutter or merge up to half the city’s schools in a long-term facilities plan from December 2023.

In that blueprint, BPS forecast that its future "will have fewer total schools and more larger sized schools in its portfolio."

The district operates 119 schools and 131 school buildings. City officials say that’s not sustainable. On Tuesday, Skipper said the district could recommend closing or consolidating an additional four to seven elementary schools and an additional three to seven high schools by 2030.

"We are so much better at knowing that buildings need to support a fuller student experience and therefore require more room to do so," Skipper said. "Arts and music are core — no longer adjunct. Social emotional supports are core — they're no longer something that might happen."

In her letter to Dever families Monday, Skipper said the choice to close the school, though emotional for families, was based on the building’s condition and current usage.

“We believe this step, while difficult, is essential to ensuring the district remains sustainable, continues to grow, and is the first choice for Boston families,” Skipper said.

The district's criteria for school closure is based on several factors, including quality of the facility, a building's ability to provide programming that can reach students with disabilities or English learners and whether the building is under-utilized.

BPS also takes into consideration whether families are choosing that school as one of their top choices under the district's home-based student assignment policy and the percentage of the student body actually living near the school.

In a statement Monday night, the Boston Teachers Union said the "closure of four Boston Public Schools will continue a pattern of disruption for students and families in Boston without any clear explanation for how it brings us closer to the stated goal above," referring to a line in the district's long-term facilities plan to provide a "high quality student experience" for students and families close to home.

Dever Elementary, which serves 400 students this year, was placed under receivership in 2013 and labeled “chronically underperforming.” Skipper added the decision to recommend closure was made "in consultation" with Russell Johnston, the acting state commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and that school officials will work with families to provide "resources and guidance."

The news hit hard for Cheryl Buckman, who attended Dever when she was in elementary school and whose son, Landen, is a sixth grader there now. She said she hovered at her son's bedroom door Monday unsure of how to break the news.

“How do you tell this child who adores his school that it’s closing?” she said.

Buckman said Landen, who is set to graduate from the school this spring, has autism and ADHD. She said he has deep ties to his principal and teachers and was saddened by the news. He had hoped, she said, to visit the school after graduation.

As the Dever took steps to meet the requirements of its systemic improvement plan, Buckman said there was no indication that the school would close.

In a statement, City Councilor Ed Flynn rued the proposed closure of Excel High, formerly South Boston High School. "This is a school with a diverse population," he said. "We have to ensure students, parents, school staff and teachers are properly informed about next steps. There must be clear communication, support and guidance for the concerned school community going forward."

Boston Public Schools is the state's largest school district, serving about 48,500 students. The district facilities plan says most of its buildings "have not seen significant capital investment or upgrades."

With additional reporting from WBUR's Newscast Unit.