Superintendent’s Report:

The Superintendent began with updates on transportation and enrollment, noting that the district has seen record-high transportation performance this fall. Morning on-time performance has reached 95% or higher on nine separate days, a remarkable increase given that in past years BPS only hit that mark twice during the first 45 days of school. Member Cardet-Hernandez, however, inquired about the headline the Superintendent avoided mentioning: the recent bribery and kickback scheme involving a Transdev employee, and the long-standing oversight failures that allowed uncertified drivers and other safety lapses to occur. The Superintendent stated that the latest transportation contract includes stronger accountability provisions, but did not elaborate on what those measures look like. 

The Superintendent then shifted to enrollment, reporting that the district currently serves 46,824 students, an astonishing drop of 1,700 students from this time last year. She attributed the decline to reduced international immigration, fewer children being born in Boston, and smaller cohorts moving through the system. Vice Chair O’Neill followed with questions about how this compares to projections, how much revenue depends on enrollment, and what the district expects for next year. In response, CFO David Bloom explained that Boston’s budget is largely insulated from enrollment declines because city appropriations are not tied to student count. Instead, the budget is tied to local taxes. Moreover, supplemental state and federal grants are based on prior-year enrollment, so the shifts will not have any impact on this coming year.

Public Comment and Facilities Tensions: 

Public comment was particularly emotional last night, fueled by the long-term facilities plan scheduled for presentation later in the meeting. Before speakers took to the mic, Superintendent Skipper attempted to clarify that no vote would occur last night and that the December 17 meeting would be the earliest opportunity for action. This preface did little to dissuade speakers, who filled the session with concerns about proposed school closures and reorganizations. Parents, teachers, and students voiced deep pride in their school communities and urged the district to slow down, reconsider, or postpone closures. Others highlighted the need for more multilingual programming and raised concerns about equitable access for out-of-district students seeking admission to BPS.

The Long-Term Facilities Plan: 

The main report of the evening was the long-term facilities plan. Superintendent Skipper framed the work as an effort to align buildings with a shared definition of a high-quality student experience. She asserted the vision is one informed by thousands of surveys, listening sessions, and community engagements. Superintendent Skipper also emphasized that decades of deferred maintenance and sharply declining enrollment have made this planning unavoidable. 

Chief of Capital Planning Delavern Stanislaus then presented an in-depth review of the district’s proposed school closures, mergers, and reconfigurations. The plan includes closing Lee Academy Pilot School, Another Course to College (ACC), and the Community Academy of Science and Health (CASH); restructuring the Henderson School into a unified PreK–8 program; and reconfiguring both Tobin and Russell into PreK–6 schools. Stanislaus also previewed a broader arc of closures, noting that by 2030, the district anticipates approximately eight additional elementary schools and six high schools will ultimately close.

In response to the presentation, Member Cardet-Hernandez highlighted one of the most troubling data points: 39 students who will be displaced in this current slate of closures had been previously impacted before! He urged the district to ensure these students receive a different, more supportive experience this time, while also taking steps to prevent repeated disruption as future closures roll out.

What’s Next:

The next School Committee meeting will be held on December 3rd at 6pm, and the vote on the long-term facility proposals will be held on December 17th. In the interim, we hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!