Boston proposes closing Charlestown High as families protest

Boston Public Schools is proposing to close Charlestown High School in June 2028 and open another high school in the building. The proposal is part of a wider facilities plan that aims to close nearly 20 schools by 2030 as enrollment falls and the district addresses building capacity and conditions. The plan also proposes closing Greater Egleston High School and the East Boston Early Education Center.

Boston’s closure plan puts students and special education programs at risk

Boston’s proposal to close Charlestown High School puts a valued school community and specialized student services in jeopardy, while families say they were shut out of the process. Students and supporters rallied outside the school on November 2, demanding that officials reconsider and invest in the school instead.

Enrollment has fallen from 820 to 559 in three years, and officials say the building can accommodate far more students. But families and educators point to the school’s programs for students with disabilities, its immigrant community and its early-college Pathways program as reasons to preserve it. One parent says her son is thriving there and fears he may have to change schools.

The proposal would close Charlestown High in 2028 and bring a different high school into the building. It is part of a district plan to close nearly 20 schools by 2030, also including Greater Egleston High School and the East Boston Early Education Center. The city's school board is slated to review the proposal on December 2. Critics say the city should not treat shrinking enrollment as a reason to dismantle school communities without meaningful engagement.

Boston must confront falling enrollment, but families deserve answers

Boston’s declining school enrollment demands difficult decisions about buildings and programs, and Charlestown High School has lost nearly a third of its students in three years. But the city’s proposal to close it has left parents and educators frustrated, with protesters saying the community was not adequately included before the plan was announced.

The school has 559 students in a building designed for 1,000, according to district figures. Officials say smaller classes make it harder to sustain courses and opportunities, including inclusive learning for students with disabilities. Families counter that Charlestown High provides specialized services and a strong community, and say those supports may be difficult to replace elsewhere.

The plan would close the school in 2028 and establish another high school in its building. It also proposes closing Greater Egleston High School and the East Boston Early Education Center, within a wider effort to close nearly 20 schools by 2030. The city's school board is slated to review the proposal on December 2. District leaders say they will work with the community on a transition, but that commitment must be matched by clear answers about students’ programs and where they will go.