BPS Proposes Closing Charlestown High School in 2028 as Enrollment Falls 32%

Boston Public Schools has proposed a Charlestown High School closure effective June 30, 2028, citing a drop in enrollment, Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper announced on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Boston School Committee is expected to consider the proposal on Dec. 2, and two city councilors have filed for a public hearing on it.

820 to 559 students since 2023 · -32% enrollment · June 30, 2028 proposed closing date · Dec. 2 School Committee date

What BPS is proposing

Under the plan, Charlestown High would stop enrolling seventh graders next fall, The Boston Globe reported. Eligible students now in grades 11 and 12 would be able to graduate as planned, and students in other grades would get priority to enroll in other schools for the 2028-29 school year, according to BPS spokesperson Sujata Wycoff, as reported by CBS Boston.

The city and district said another high school would move into the Charlestown building. “The City and BPS will work alongside neighbors and school community members to transition another high school to this building that reflects BPS’s vision of a high-quality experience and meets the neighborhood’s vision as early as the 2028-2029 school year,” Wu and Skipper said in a joint statement.

The two also said in the statement: “Closing a school is one of the hardest decisions we have to make as a district, and we understand the strong emotions this recommendation brings to the Charlestown High School community.”

The recommendation is part of the district’s Long-Term Facilities Plan, according to Caught in Charlestown. The Globe reported that the broader package includes relocating three schools, expanding two and reconfiguring two others, and that three schools are being considered for closure. Only Charlestown High was named on Saturday. The Globe reported the district is expected to present the plan to the School Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

By the numbers: the enrollment decline

BPS said enrollment at Charlestown High fell from 820 students in 2023 to 559 in 2026. That is a drop of 261 students, or 31.8%, in three years (TBR calculation from BPS figures). The district expects the decline to continue because younger classes are much smaller: there are 207 students in grade 12 but only 48 in grade 7, according to Wycoff. The senior class is about 4.3 times the size of the seventh grade (TBR calculation).

If grade sizes stayed at those levels, the school would keep shrinking as each large upper class graduates. The district has not released a projection by year, so the size of future classes depends on enrollment choices families make in the coming years.

What councilors are asking

City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, who represents Charlestown in District 1, filed a hearing order to examine the proposal, Caught in Charlestown reported. The order would look at how the decision was made, possible alternatives to closure, the effect on students and families, the future of secondary education in Charlestown and what would happen to the building. It would invite BPS officials, educators, students, families and residents to testify. No hearing date has been set.

“The news surrounding Charlestown High School is difficult for our community, especially for the students, families, and educators who call it home,” Coletta Zapata said in a statement. She also said on Facebook that “the Charlestown community deserves a meaningful voice in shaping the future of this school.”

At-Large Councilor Erin Murphy also filed for a hearing and asked the district for more detail. “Families need more than a promise of priority placement. What does that mean in practice, and which schools can provide the education and services their children deserve?” Murphy said in a statement, according to CBS Boston. The Globe reported she also called for more advance notice of closure plans.

What happens next

The School Committee, which the council has been debating whether to make an elected body, as seen on the council’s Oct. 28 agenda, is expected to take up the plan on Dec. 2. Any council hearing would be scheduled by the committee it is assigned to. For background on the neighborhood, see our Charlestown neighborhood guide, and for more on district schools, our Boston school news page.

Sources

• CBS Boston: Boston Public Schools proposes closing Charlestown High School due to low enrollment
• The Boston Globe: BPS proposes to close Charlestown High School, citing declining enrollment
• Caught in Charlestown: Councilor Coletta Zapata calls for hearing on proposed closure