Nearly half of Boston Public School buildings may close as part of new district plan

BOSTON — Around half of Boston’s public school buildings may shutter their doors in the near future as part of a plan to address declining enrollment and inequities according to a plan released by the city Wednesday.

As part of the plan, Boston may cleave the current number of 119 buildings in half to focus on developing larger buildings with a wider array of facilities for students.

According to the Boston Globe, enrollment in Boston Public Schools has dropped more than 13 percent since 2006, dropping from 56,000 to 49,000.

“The result has been inconsistent and inequitable student experiences, inefficient use of resources, and buildings that don’t fully support a high-quality student experience for every student,” the plan says.

The plan states it plans to develop four different model spaces based on the grades that will use them: Small preK-6(~356 students) Large preK-6(~712 students). Medium 7-12(~1,150 students), Large7-12(~1,620 students).

“Not every school building should or will fit a Model Space Summary but Model Space Summaries will serve as a guide for future new or renovated preK-6 or 7-12 schools,” the plan states.

Many of Boston’s school buildings were built before WWII, and 25 percent are 100 years or older, leaving them inadequate compared to modern designs.

According to the plan, only 1/3 of BPS’ buildings have well-ran HVAC systems, 50 percent don’t have auditoriums, 44 percent have no science labs and 17 do not have art spaces.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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