New Boston Pilot Middle School renamed in memory of Lilla G. Frederick

BOSTON - Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant, school principal Debra Socia, city and state officials, students, parents, teachers and community members gathered yesterday in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Dorchester for a ceremony to officially rename New Boston Pilot Middle School (NBPMS) as the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, in memory of a community leader whose efforts were instrumental in the school's creation. State Senators Jack Hart and Dianne Wilkerson, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, and City Councilors Sam Yoon and Charles Yancey were among the guests.

Numerous parents, students, residents, elected officials, clergy, and other community members requested that the school be renamed for Ms. Frederick. After a public meeting on the matter last September, the NBPMS Board of Directors approved the request and submitted it to Superintendent Payzant for review by the Boston School Committee. The Committee approved the renaming of the school on December 7, 2005, and the name change becomes effective as of July 1, 2006.

Ms. Frederick, who died in 2005, was a leader in her community. President of Project RIGHT, Inc. (Rebuild and Improve Grove Hall Together), she played an active role in many neighborhood revitalization projects. Ms. Frederick participated in the NBPMS school building design process and was a founding co-chair of the Friends of New Boston Pilot Middle School, an organization created to provide support to the school.

Opened in September 2003 as a state-of-the-art facility at 270 Columbia Road, NBPMS was the product of the joint efforts of members of the Grove Hall community, the Boston Public Schools, the City of Boston, the Center for Collaborative Education, and other local organizations. The school serves approximately 660 grade six through eight students with a mission to provide students with a rigorous academic curriculum within a stimulating and nurturing environment.

The Boston Public Schools serves more than 58,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in 145 schools.