Boston Public Schools proposes closing Charlestown High School due to low enrollment

Boston Public Schools is considering a proposal to close Charlestown High School, officials announced Saturday.

The proposal comes as enrollment has declined sharply at the school in the last three years, dropping from 820 students in 2023 to 559 enrolled in 2026, BPS spokesperson Sujata Wycoff said. 

The decline is expected to increase in the following years as smaller cohorts rise through the school. There are currently 207 students in grade 12, compared to 48 students in grade 7, according to Wycoff. 

If the proposal is approved, the school would close on June 30, 2028. Eligible students from grades 11 and 12 would be allowed to graduate as planned. Students in other grades would get priority to enroll in other schools for the following school year. 

"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," Mayor Michelle Wu and BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper said in a statement. 

"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."

Boston City Councilors Erin Murphy and Gabriela Coletta, who represents Charlestown, both filed for a hearing on the proposed closure. 

"The Charlestown community deserves a meaningful voice in shaping the future of this school, and I will work to ensure they have one," she wrote in a Facebook post Saturday. 

Murphy further called for transparency regarding the process, adding that the district needs to clarify what this may mean for affected students. 

"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. 

The Boston School Committee is expected to consider the proposal on Dec. 2.