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BPS plans to expand 17 elementary schools; build an entirely new one in East Boston

WBUR runs down the proposals, which, in addition to a new elementary school in East Boston include a new building for the Quincy Upper School in Chinatown.

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Close some schools and blame it on the interim superintendent.

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The superintendent should close about 25 schools and take credit for it - not blame.

BPS without in district charters has about 51,000 students and falling. But still about 125 schools. That's a lot of overhead - especially with all the busing you need to do to connect all these dots. We are talking a waste of tens of millions of dollars keeping those 25 other schools open. Close the old ones in crappy condition and then use that savings to fund bonds to build some new schools.

Rip off the damned band aid already.

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I agree with your sentiment. However, in the details, it explains the moves as a way to standardize all the different schools, by eliminating "middle school", grades 6-8.

Yes, they should close schools.

Yes, I'll be dead before they do. (And, I plan on living to 90.)

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So this would give Charlestown 3 elementary schools: Harvard-Kent, Warren Prescott and Edward's? That seems... excessive...

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No, they almost certainly intend to make Edwards facility part of one of the other two schools. Neither has enough space (and so there is no library, art room, music room, etc.

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CTown high wants to expand to middle school.

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Combined middle and high school? 12 yo's mixing with 19, 20 yo's? Interesting...

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A few BPS schools mix middle with high school.
Latin, Latin Academy are 7-12, Boston Collaborative, Boston Green Academy, Carter, Dearbon STEM, McKinley, Quincy and TechBoston are 6-12.

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It's going to be the thing.

But really were there 20 year olds in your high school? That's less common than 12 year olds, I think.

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But it seems more common these days for 20 and 21 yo's in Public school, not just limited to international students who need additional language etc skills.. I recall numerous 16 yo's in my own hs freshman class...

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Middle-school-aged humans in isolated groups of just that age are awful people (in aggregate). Keeping them with younger kids tends to allow them to be children longer and have the civilizing influence of being expected to help younger kids. Put them with high schoolers and you have the good example of older students who have made it through early stages of puberty and have settled a bit. But leave them in a middle grades only school and it's an emotional (and sometimes physical) Lord of the Flies situation.

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No surprise about the school configurations, but I thought this was (welcome) news:

"Currently, at the high school level, 56% of students with disabilities are concentrated in five of the district's open enrollment schools, three of which also have the highest concentration of English learners. Such programs are spread more evenly at the elementary level. BPS proposes to expand the placement of special education and English learner programs across a larger number of schools, including schools that have selective admissions."

This is one of the three goals outlined in the report (page 12).
I hope this means exam schools, because the other schools with selective admissions, like BAA, already have programs.

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Counting the strollers, high rise developments along Boylston in the Fenway has brought a new population of families with young children.

The absence of BPS pre-K and an elementary school in the Fenway forces parents to choose between having their children commute long distances, if there is a slot, move outside of Boston or pay tuition to independent schools.

This is a definite flaw in city planning and responding to a population other than single young professionals and students.

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