Interim Boston School Superintendent John McDonough last night released the names of the five schools he says need to be shut this year to save money: Community Academy in Jamaica Plain, Middle School Academy in South Boston, Rogers Middle School in Hyde Park, Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy in Hyde Park and West Roxbury Academy.
BPS says that with a $40 million to $50 million shortfall in the coming fiscal year's budget, these schools are too small to keep operating.
Closing a school is never easy, but we must acknowledge that our resources are spread too thin. If we do not take action now we will continue to put the education of all BPS students at risk.
BPS has set a series of meetings for parents to discuss where their children might go to school next year.
In a letter to parents at the affected schools, McDonough starts off like a corporate executive telling somebody they've just been laid off:
This is an exciting time in the history of the Boston Public Schools. In many ways our students lead their peers -
urban and otherwise - nationally. Our Mayor has made education the top priority of his administration, and soon a newly appointed Superintendent will take the helm of this incredible school district, and our students are as eager as ever to learn. There are many points of pride for the BPS community, and yet we all acknowledge there is more work to be done.