‘Please reconsider!’: Boston students make final plea to save three schools

BOSTON — Boston students and families showed up in force at school district headquarters in a last-ditch effort to stop three city schools from closing.

It was standing room only at Wednesday night’s Boston School Committee meeting.

60 people signed up for public comment two weeks before a vote is set to determine the fate of Another Course to College in Hyde Park, Community Academy of Science and Health in Dorchester, and Lee Academy Pilot School in Dorchester.

The district is also considering a proposal to reconfigure three schools.

It’s part of the city’s plan to close nearly 20 schools by the end of the decade.

“They’re not giving you equity when they’re able to fix other schools and keep them open and keep class communities together while telling other neighborhoods that they have to close their schools and disperse their students,” said Jasen Lambright, whose son attends Lee Academy Pilot School.

Dozens of students, parents, and teachers attended a protest before the meeting at the Bruce Bolling Municipal Building.

Speakers shared their personal connections with the schools and talked about their value to future generations.

“ACC is one of the very good schools that has a very small area for kids who don’t want to be in crowded places,” said Majadi Ortiz, an 11^th grader at Another Course to College. “Please reconsider!”

Students said the impact would be especially devastating for students in special education and ESL programs.

“When we’re pulling the rug out from under them, we’re furthering those gaps in Boston academic achievement and opportunity while also causing substantial emotional damage,” said Kel McClay, Executive Director of Boston Education Justice Alliance.

School officials believe the closures are necessary to plan for the district’s dwindling enrollment and facility upgrades.

The Boston School Committee is scheduled to vote on the controversial proposal on December 17^th.

A district spokesperson sent the following statement to Boston 25 News:

“Having to close a school is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make and we understand the strong emotions that our school communities are feeling. If this set of recommendations for the 2027-2028 school year is approved, we are fully committed to working directly with our students, staff, and families as we transition through these changes together over the next 18 months to ensure that everyone is supported and that our students receive high quality resources and opportunities to learn and reach their full potential. We will ensure that every student affected by this set of recommendations has a pathway to a high quality seat at a welcoming school community.

These decisions are always very hard to make but this work is essential to deliver on the promise that every student has access to rigorous, culturally affirming academic and enrichment learning environments through the Long-Term Facilities Plan (LTFP), which was designed through a robust community process. The LTFP serves as our roadmap to 2030 by matching the number of schools in BPS to our student enrollment projections. Each of these recommendations aligns with our vision of building a district where all our school facilities are delivering the high-quality educational experience our families and students expect and deserve.”

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