School officials dramatically scaled back efforts to close or merge dozens of Boston schools, leaving some parents frustrated by a lack of planning amid crumbling infrastructure.
Jamaica Plain parent Sarah Horsley said more needs to be done after years of inaction and promises to move the district forward.
“There is no comprehensive long term plan, leaving us completely in the dark on the future of our schools,” Horsley said. “A vague rubric followed up by piecemeal decisions is not adequate.”
Skipper said the district can’t close or reconfigure schools on a broad scale until it builds more community trust.
“We need to begin this work carefully with our school leaders and communities,” she said. “When students are impacted by closures, consolidations or other changes parents need to be confident that they will transition into high quality learning environments that meet their needs.”
Skipper said additional closure proposals will come on an annual basis.
Parents and education advocates have called on the district to provide a comprehensive long-term facilities plan that details future closures and mergers for years. Parents and activists, for example, have criticized the district for not using a racial equity tool to determine the fairest way to merge or shutter schools.
The district submitted a long-term facilities plan to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or DESE, in December, but the state said the plan fell short and did not include enrollment projections or a timeline for implementation.
Additionally, BPS failed to renovate at least 15 deteriorating bathrooms at several schools as promised.
Former Boston School Committee member Mary Tamer, now executive director of the group Democrats for Education Reform, said the need for a plan is dire. The district loses tens of millions of dollars annually operating schools with classrooms that are not full — money that could be better spent.
“The district needs a comprehensive facilities plan that lays out exactly how many schools we need for the students we have because the [student population] has been steadily declining for more than a dozen years now, even with the influx of migrant children,” Tamer said.
Student enrollment declined by more than 8,000 students or 14 percent in the last decade, she said.
BPS parent Travis Marshall, representing the parents’ group Quality Education for Every Student, said a long-term facilities plan would spur authentic community engagement, allowing students to engage in the district reconfiguration process.
“Understanding now what schools BPS intends to close over the coming years will offer the best chance for an intentional process that can hopefully prevent major trauma for students,” he said.
The district’s scaled-down proposal for the 2025/2026 school year includes merging the James W. Hennigan K-8 school with the West Zone Early Learning Center, which currently sit in the same location.
The district said it will also proceed with plans to close the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, the last standalone middle school in the city.
Members of the School Committee will vote on the changes on June 17.
