A Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools
We’re reimagining our schools as full-service community hubs and engines of climate resilience.
For every student and family to have access to the BPS High-Quality Student Experience close to home, we need school buildings that are safe, healthy, climate-resilient, inclusive, and inspiring. The Green New Deal for BPS is our commitment to shifting the physical footprint of our district with urgency, transparency, and equity at the forefront.
RELATED: Read Mayor Wu’s 2023 Executive Order requiring all new or renovated municipal buildings to be free of fossil fuels.
Community Engagement
We are engaging in community conversations to share the rubric data about our school buildings, understand patterns, and develop proposals for new investments, school closures, school mergers, and other shifts to support our collective vision of a High-Quality Student Experience.
BPS LONG-TERM FACILITIES WORKSHOPS
Zoom Webinar: What’s in the Long-Term Facilities Plan?
Community Workshops: Applying the Long-Term Facilities Plan
Each workshop included a deep-dive into the data for a selection of BPS schools. We are currently compiling all of the feedback that we heard during the community workshops and survey to share with the community.
- Workshop 1: Saturday, February 3, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Workshop 3: Saturday, March 2, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Workshop 4: Saturday, March 9, 2024 | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Workshop 2 (High Schools): Wednesday, March 13, 2024 | 6PM-8PM
SURVEY: School Transition and Planning
As BPS moves into the next phase of implementing its Long Term Facilities Plan, we asked you to share your thoughts on how to make school transitions a better and more supportive experience by completing our School Transition and Planning Survey. The survey was open from February 26, 2024 until March 15, 2024, and was available in the major BPS languages.
Learn more about the annual timeline and cycle of community engagement (pages 46-47, 72).
Community Engagement Summary and Analysis
After completing the Long-Term Facilities Plan Workshops and the School Transition and Planning Survey, we synthesized the major themes and data points in a presentation that you can view online.
LONG-TERM FACILITIES PLAN
The BPS Long-Term Facilities Plan is a data-driven roadmap for shifting our physical footprint to support the High-Quality Student Experience with greater urgency, transparency, and equity.
Download the BPS Long-Term Facilities Plan and explore the data at this link.
Introduction (pages 4-11): This section includes a message from the Mayor, Superintendent, and School Committee Chair, the executive summary, and the demographics of the BPS community.
The High-Quality Student Experience (pages 12-21): This section details how community priorities shaped our definition of the High-Quality Student Experience.
Planning Framework (pages 22-34): This section includes our problem of practice, shares the BPS data story, and describes the Green New Deal for BPS approach to addressing our district’s biggest challenges with urgency.
Current and Planned Projects (pages 51-59): This section includes a summary of all current and planned projects.
- A list of recently completed, current or planned infrastructure repairs and improvement projects in BPS facilities is on page 54.
- For more information on current new builds, gut renovations, and major school reconfiguration projects visit this link.
Additional Resources
The resources below are components of the Long-Term Facilities Plan. Translations are in progress and will be added as they are completed.
- Educational Specifications
- Capacity Report
- Building and Architectural Standards (Coming Soon)
- Educational Adequacy Quotient Report (Coming Soon)
Current projects
projectsWe are committed to renovating facilities at the Blackstone School, including improving building systems, and interior and exterior spaces and supporting the sustainability of the 6th grade, which was added in 2022. The Blackstone was not invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Core program in 2022, but we are proposing $20 million in the FY24 Capital Plan to begin the design process.
In the Fall of 2022, we celebrated the opening of the new Boston Arts Academy, a $137 million project supported by the City of Boston and the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The new 5-story building features a 500-seat auditorium and theater space, a black box theater, four new dance studios, visual arts studios, a recording studio, choral room, a 150-seat recital hall, 10 practice rooms, and classrooms and science labs. A roof terrace is designed for use as an outdoor classroom and performance space. The project also modified the existing streetscape by widening sidewalks and shortening crosswalks to create a safer path of travel around the building, while adding trees and street furniture to create a more welcoming environment for students and visitors. The building design is highly energy-efficient, exceeding LEED silver requirements.
In June 2022, we celebrated the groundbreaking on the new Carter School, a $92 million investment supported by the City of Boston and the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Construction is estimated to be complete in 2024, and the students will be moving in in the 2025-2026 school year. The new facility will include a therapeutic pool, sensory garden, rooftop classroom, and better space designed specifically for students with disabilities and complex learning needs. The upgraded facility will expand the Carter School’s enrollment capacity from 25 to 60 and allow for new early childhood programs.
The Cleveland Building is currently occupied by the Community Academy of Science and Health (CASH) community. BPS will engage with CASH and District leadership to evaluate potential uses of the unused space in the building. We’ll also dedicate capital funds to renovate the site, including $2.15 million to repair the roof and the building exterior which is targeted to be complete in the fall of 2023.
We are proposing $41.6 million in the FY24 Capital Plan to support major renovations to the Edwards building in Charlestown, which will serve as the new home for the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HMS) community beginning in the Fall of 2024. The renovations to the Edwards building are based on intentional design rooted in Deaf space principles to best support the HMS community. We are also continuing to explore alternative long-term site options across Boston through a siting study.
The Jackson-Mann K-8 school closed in June 2022, and BPS has previously committed to constructing a new school on this site. In FY23, we have dedicated $150,000 for a study to develop a building program for the design and construction of a new PreK-6 school on this site alongside the Jackson/Mann BCYF Community Center and potentially the Horace Mann School. Beginning SY23-24, BPS will engage several Allston-Brighton school communities – including but not limited to the Lyon, the Winship, the Gardner, the Edison, and the Baldwin – to determine which schools will ultimately merge into a renovated elementary school on the Jackson-Mann Campus.
In December 2022, we celebrated the raising of the last steel beam at the new Josiah Quincy Upper School facility at 900 Washington Street, Boston, MA 021111. This was a significant milestone in this construction project, a $193 million facility supported by the City of Boston and the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The new 6-story facility will accommodate 650 students, and will include a rooftop outdoor classroom and activity complex, a media center, athletic and fitness areas, a black box theater, auditorium, cafeteria, and other learning and administrative spaces. The design includes a fresh air make-up system and enhanced filtration to mitigate air pollution from vehicle traffic on nearby highways. Construction is expected to be complete before the 2024-2025 school year.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School serves more than 400 students in grades preK-6, but at nearly 90 years old, its building is in urgent need of repair, with several maintenance areas categorized as a high priority. The District-wide Facilities Condition Assessment, which will be complete in the Summer of 2023, will determine the best path forward to upgrade the building, and we are proposing $5 million in the FY24 Capital Plan to begin design.
Our investments in Madison Park Technical Vocational High School must reflect that the school opens doors not only for Boston’s young people but also supports the economic vitality of our entire City. In 2022, we launched a programming study to rebuild an educational complex on Malcolm X Boulevard in Roxbury that is equipped to prepare Boston youth and adults for exciting careers in technical and vocational fields, including emerging green-sector jobs. We are working with New Vista Design, Annum, and St. Fleur Communications to develop an educational and building vision for Madison Park, and in the FY24 Capital Plan, we are proposing $45 million to begin the design of a new campus to bring that vision to reality.
The Mel H. King South End Academies (formerly the McKinley Schools) stretches across three buildings, all of which are some of the highest-needs school buildings in Boston. The Mel King Academy is a therapeutic day school for students with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, and offers engaging, relationship-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive education for students up to age 22. In 2022, we launched a programming study to develop an updated educational vision for renovated facilities, working with Saam Architecture and Design Civic. In the FY24 Capital Plan, we are proposing $20.3 million to begin design services to deliver on that vision.
We are committed to building an annex for the Otis School on the Paris Street lot, which BPS acquired in 2019. This expansion would grow the Otis’ enrollment capacity and support the sustainability of the 6th grade, which was added in 2020. The Otis School was not invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Core program in 2022. The City and BPS are currently exploring financial options to continue to pursue this project in FY24.
The proposal to combine the Philbrick and Sumner schools to become a preK-6 school located in the renovated Irving building, beginning in the Fall of 2025, was approved by the Boston School Committee on May 24, 2023. Combining the schools will consolidate resources to invest in expanded academic and enrichment opportunities and inclusion. The FY24 Capital Plan proposal included $90.8 million to renovate the Irving building. The Irving renovation construction began in the Fall of 2023.
Earlier facilities work to replace the boilers at the PJ Kennedy School prompted further work needed for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To ensure ADA compliance, we have dedicated more than $16 million in FY23 for a large-scale renovation, including a new entranceway, playground, trees and plantings, school garden, fencing, lighting and security cameras, as well as new and renovated interior spaces. Construction will begin in the Summer of 2023.
In May 2022, we recommitted to building a new elementary school in Roxbury. No school site has yet been identified yet, but the ongoing Facilities Condition Assessment and School Design Study will accelerate site selection by providing several massing and siting options, looking at existing City-owned property in Roxbury as well as potential acquisitions, as well as a programming and design vision for the new school. BPS will engage several Roxbury school communities – including but not limited to the Ellis, the Higginson/Lewis, the Higginson Elementary, the Hale, the Mendell, the Winthrop, and the Mason – to determine which schools will ultimately merge into a new Roxbury elementary school.
We are committed to moving forward with plans to build out high-quality space on the Columbia Point campus that meets the programming needs of the full Ruth Batson Academy (formerly the Boston Community Leadership Academy-McCormack) community. Phase 1 of these renovations included a $3 million investment to construct two new science labs and a life skills room and were completed in the Fall of 2022. We plan to come back to the school community with updated options for Phase 2 of building renovations, and we are proposing more than $12 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Plan to start the design process.
In the spring of 2023, the Boston Public Schools Committee approved the official merger of Shaw Elementary and the Charles E. Taylor Elementary School for School Year 2024-2025. As part of the district’s Long-term Facilities Plan, this merger will allow the new school to expand access to quality academic and enrichment opportunities for all students, inclusive education settings for multilingual learners, and students with special needs. In partnership with school leaders, staff, parents, and community stakeholders, the new school is set to open in Fall of 2024. The school has also been approved by the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s Core Program to fund the design and construction of a new facility for a unified Shaw-Taylor community in Dorchester/Mattapan with a proposed $50 million in the Fiscal Year 24 Capital Plan to support the project.
We conducted a needs assessment to rebuild the West Roxbury Education Complex (WREC) as a comprehensive 7-12 high school serving a student population across the City. The WREC closed in June 2019 due to major roof, masonry, and windows issues and significant deferred maintenance. In June 2023, we proposed redesigning and rebuilding the West Roxbury Education Complex (WREC) facility for the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. With a lack of consensus around this relocation, these plans have been halted indefinitely. We will continue to evaluate potential future uses of the WREC through our long-term facilities planning work.
Located in the Playstead section of Franklin Park, the historic White Stadium is used for BPS track, football, and other athletic and community events. In 2023, we launched an updated needs assessment of the facility, including the east and west stands, the playing field, and the track, to develop preliminary designs and cost estimates, building on a previous 2013 study. The FY24 Capital Plan proposes $10.5 million to transform the facility into a hub for BPS Athletics.
EXPLORE THE DATA: DECISION-MAKING RUBRIC
Explore the rubric data, and learn more about the decision-making rubric tool (pages 35-47).
PROJECT HISTORY
Frequently Asked Questions
Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the Long-Term Facilities Plan, including questions about:
- Community Engagement and Impact; Facilities Maintenance, Upgrades and Repairs; High-Quality Student Experience and Building Features; Inclusive Education and Academics; Proposals: New Projects, Renovations, Mergers & Closures; School Size and Grade Configurations; and the Glossary of Terms
LATEST UPDATES
May 2024
documents
Building Our Future: A Guide To The Long-Term Facilities Plan (Translated into 9 additional languages)
May 2024
document
Building Our Future: A Guide To The Long-Term Facilities Plan
April 2024
Presentation
Capital Planning Community Engagement Summary
March 13, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan High School Workshop Presentation (English)
March 13, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan High School Workshop Presentation (Spanish)
March 13, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan High School Workshop Presentation (Haitian Creole)
March 9, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan Workshop 4 Presentation (English)
March 2, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan Workshop 3 Presentation (English)
February 3, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan Workshop 1 Presentation (English)
February 3, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan Workshop 1 Presentation (Spanish)
February 3, 2024
Presentation
Long-Term Facilities Plan Workshop 1 Presentation (Portuguese)
Additional Resources
Resources- January 17, 2024 - RECORDING - Long-Term Facilities Plan Webinar
- January 17, 2024 - PRESENTATION - Long-Term Facilities Plan Webinar (English)
- November 2023 - PRESENTATIONS - Long-Term Facilities Planning: Rubric Workshop (Translated Into 10 Languages)
- October 2023 - RECORDING - GND for BPS Webinar Recording
- October 2023 - PRESENTATIONS - Webinar/Workshop Presentations (translated into 12 languages)
- Summer 2024 - DOCUMENTS - Listening Engagement Reports (Translations)
- Summer 2023 - DOCUMENT - Listening Engagement Report in English
- Summer 2023 - DOCUMENTS - Listening Engagement Report Summaries (translated into 10 languages)
- Winter 2023 - PRESENTATION - Listening session (Arabic)
- Winter 2023 - PRESENTATION - Listening session (Cape Verdean Creole)
- Winter 2023 - PRESENTATION - Listening session (Chinese)
- Winter 2023 - PRESENTATION - Listening session (Haitian Creole)
- Winter 2023 - PRESENTATION - Listening session (Somali)
- Winter 2023 - PRESENTATION - Listening session (Vietnamese)
- Winter 2023 - PRESENTATION - Listening session (English)
- May 2022 – VIDEO – Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools Information Session
- June 17, 2024 — Closure proposals for School Year 2025-2026: Closure of Lilla Frederick Middle School and West Zone Early Learning Center
- June 17, 2024 — Memo 2024 Proposals Follow Up (English)
- June 17, 2024 — BPS School Proposals 2024 (English)
- June 17, 2024 — BPS Report on Long Term Facilities Plan Data Framework (English)
- June 17, 2024 — Updated Equity Impact Statement (English)
- June 17, 2024 — Capital Planning PowerPoint Presentation (English)
- May 22, 2024 — Reports: Long-Term Facilities Planning: Realizing Our Vision - Proposals for School Year 2025-2026
- May 22, 2024 — BPS School Proposals 2024 (English)
- May 22, 2024 — BPS Report on Long Term Facilities Plan Data Framework (English)
- May 22, 2024 — Equity Impact Statement Facilities Plan (English)
- May 22, 2024 — Capital Planning PowerPoint Presentation (English)
- May 8, 2024 — Memo: Long-Term Facilities Plan (English)
- May 8, 2024 — Equity Impact Statement (English)
- May 8, 2024 — PowerPoint Presentation (English)
- February 28, 2024 — Report: Massachusetts School Building Authority Core Program Statement of Interest (English), Click here for additional translations
- February 28, 2024 — Equity Impact Statement MSBA Core Program Statement of Interest (English), Click here for additional translations
- February 28, 2024 — Powerpoint MSPA Core Program Statement of Interest (English), Click here for additional translations
- December 6, 2023 — Memo: Long-Term Facilities Plan: Rubric and Building Models (English), Click here for additional translations
- November 15, 2023 — Education and Design Specifications and Update on Rubric, Memo: Capital Planning Update (English), Click here for additional translations
- November 15, 2023 — Education and Design Specifications and Update on Rubric, Equity Impact Statement (English), Click here for additional translations
- November 15, 2023 — Education and Design Specifications and Update on Rubric, PowerPoint presentation (English), Click here for additional translations
- September 13, 2023 — Capital Planning Update (English), Click here for additional translations
- October 26, 2022 — Green New Deal, Green New Deal Memo (English), Click here for additional translations
