BOSTON — Boston Public School students, parents, and teachers are voicing their opposition to a new proposal to close three more schools and reconfigure three others.
The Boston School Committee heard their passionate pleas on Wednesday night.
Dozens of people testified just two days after learning about the proposal.
Boston Superintendent Mary Skipper said the district saw a decline of 1700 students compared to this time last year and must plan accordingly for the years ahead.
“This is literally, in our face, the school-to-prison pipeline that you are doing by making these decisions,” said Meghan Desmond, an ESL teacher at Another Course to College.
The district is considering closing two small high schools – Another Course to College in Hyde Park and Community Academy of Science and Health in Dorchester.
Lee Academy Pilot School in Dorchester is also facing potential closure.
“You have immediately left my family, along with many others, without a clear route of how to complete high school, which brings an enormous amount of stress to figure out where to send my children,” said Amanda Roberto, a mother of students at Another Course to College.
The proposal is part of the city’s plan to close nearly 20 schools by the end of the decade.
“It’s just disappointing. It’s heartbreaking,” said Nyla Hicks, a senior at Community Academy of Science and Health. “Why not grow the school? Why shut it down?”
The Boston School Committee is scheduled to vote on the proposal on December 17th.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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