Overview
- Boston Public Schools formally recommended closing Charlestown High as part of its long-term facilities plan to reduce underused buildings and better match school capacity to student numbers.
- The district says Charlestown’s enrollment fell from about 820 to 559 students over three years, the building is roughly half full, and students with disabilities now make up about 45 percent of the school.
- Community members packed a Boston School Committee meeting on Wednesday night to protest the proposal and say the school provides safety, belonging and strong programs for vulnerable students.
- The Boston Teachers Union and several local officials criticized the speed of the process and urged more community engagement while Mayor Michelle Wu backed consolidation as a way to direct resources to fuller schools.
- If the committee approves the plan on Dec. 2, the closure would take effect June 30, 2028, with phased student transitions that allow upperclassmen to graduate and give current students priority placement at other city schools and a different school concept could occupy the Charlestown building.