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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – The Boston School Committee has made its first move to phase out middle schools in the district.
During a vote Wednesday night, five members voted in favor and two abstained to close three schools at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. These schools include Washington Middle School in Roslindale, James P. Timility Middle School in Roxbury and the Jackson-Mann School in Allston.
Concerns were raised during the zoom meeting, including by Vernee Wilkinson who is with School Facts Boston.
“Families are dealing with day-to-day things and now also this added challenge of wondering, ‘where will my sixth grader go? Where will my seventh grader go? Where will my eighth grader go?’”
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This effort is part of a plan to eventually phase out middle schools in the area with elementary and high schools absorbing grades 6 through 8. The theory is this will lead to less transfers between grades and create fewer disruptions for students.
“We don’t know for sure if this is going to work, but I’m highly supportive of this decision,” said Boston Public School (BPS) School Committee member Dr. Hardin Coleman. He added this will help “address our middle school problems and performance problems we have and engage kids earlier.”
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BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius hopes this will help attract more students and recently revised plans to include adding sixth graders to three elementary schools.
After these closures, only two middle schools will remain next June: UP Academy in Boston and Frederick Pilot Middle School.
WBZ’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) has more:
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