School Committee approves Superintendent Johnson's reorganization plan

BOSTON – The Boston School Committee on Wednesday night approved most of the recommendations in Superintendent Carol R. Johnson’s “Pathways to Excellence” plan to strengthen and reorganize the Boston Public Schools (BPS). The approved recommendations include several modifications from the original proposals, based on feedback from parents, students and staff during a five-week public engagement process.

The plan creates seven new K-8 programs and expands one other K-8 school, resulting in 6,000 additional seats for students in programs that span kindergarten through grade 8, an increase of more than 60%. The School Committee also approved the expansion of several pilot schools (in-district charter schools), and later this month will vote on several new pilot school proposals, which together would create access to pilot schools for approximately 2,000 more students.

Dr. Johnson reiterated the goals of the plan: to expand excellence throughout the Boston Public Schools, to increase access to high-quality programs, and to ensure equity for all families throughout the city. She noted that the plan is designed to support the district’s ambitious academic agenda, while making more efficient use of resources to address challenging economic realities.

“Pathways to Excellence” addresses changing demographic and economic realities, most notably a decline in the school-age population as well as decreasing state, federal and private resources. The Superintendent recommended several strategies to decrease spending on the $76 million transportation budget, including conversion of three “citywide” schools to become zone-based K-8 schools.

Together, the recommendations about facilities, programs and transportation are estimated to reduce spending over the next five years by approximately $25.4 million.

The Superintendent also highlighted several changes to the plan since it was first presented, including:

· Odyssey High School will remain open at the South Boston Education Complex. In lieu of closing the school next year, Dr. Johnson will establish a performance contract with benchmarks for school improvement, including graduation and proficiency rates. As a result, the Superintendent also withdrew the proposal to establish an Environmental Science program at the English High School, given that Odyssey already offers such a program.

· Two high schools at the Dorchester Education Complex – Noonan Business Academy and the Academy of Public Service – will merge into a new high school, Edward G. Noonan Academy for Business and Public Service.

· The Elihu Greenwood Elementary School in Hyde Park, originally proposed for closure, also will remain open with a performance contract and staffing changes next year.

· The Holmes Elementary School in Dorchester, proposed for expansion to K-8 beginning next year, would instead serve students from the Stone Elementary School, with the opportunity for K-8 expansion beginning in 2012.

· The new Mildred Avenue K-8 School in Mattapan will serve students currently enrolled at the P.A. Shaw Elementary School in Dorchester, approved for closure next year. By 2012, the Ellison/Parks Early Education School will establish a feeder pattern with the Mildred Avenue School to offer K-8 continuity.

· The East Zone Early Learning Center, previously proposed for relocation to the Dickerman building, will remain at its current site adjacent to the central kitchen facility in Dorchester.

· Boston International High School will relocate and expand, and a Newcomers Academy for late-arriving English Language Learners will open, at the former Thompson School building in Dorchester.

· TechBoston Academy, currently a pilot high school, will expand to a grade 6-12 school, with middle school grades opening at the Wilson Middle School building in Dorchester.

· While the Superintendent explores options for new single-gender academies for young men and young women, she advocated for the creation of single-gender classrooms in some existing high schools next year.

· The Superintendent did not recommend, as previously proposed, increasing the percentage of students receiving “walk zone priority” to schools near where they live, currently set at 50% of available seats.

The Committee approved other changes as they were presented in the initial proposal last month, including:

· The Beethoven and Ohrenberger Schools in West Roxbury will serve as a new K-8 program, with students attending K1 through grade 2 at the Beethoven and grades 3-8 at the Ohrenberger.

· The new Edison K-8 School in Brighton will serve students from the Hamilton and Garfield elementary schools in the current Edison Middle School building.

· The current Lewis Middle School building will house a new Higginson / Lewis K-8 School in Roxbury, adding students from the nearby Higginson Elementary School.

· Students completing grade 5 at the Grew Elementary School in Hyde Park will be guaranteed assignment to the nearby Rogers Middle School, as the two become a “feeder pair.”

· The King Middle School in Dorchester, housed this year in a temporary location during renovations, will return to its space as the new Martin Luther King Jr. K-8 School, along with students from the neighboring Dickerman Elementary School.

The School Committee requested additional detail about the Superintendent’s proposals to expand “innovation and enrichment,” including public Montessori programs, International Baccalaureate programs, a citywide high school marching band, a Truancy/Transition Center, and another two-way Spanish/English bilingual program. The Committee will continue discussion about these proposals at its November 19 meeting, noting that they all are contingent upon the availability of space and funding.

Also at its November 19 meeting, the School Committee will vote on proposals for new pilot schools to open next year, including:

· The Mary Lyon School in Brighton would expand from a K-8 school to a K-12 school, with grades 9-12 housed in the current Garfield Elementary School building across the street.

· The Haley Elementary School in Roslindale would convert to a pilot school.

· A new K-8 pilot school governed by the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) would open in the former Parkman School building in Jamaica Plain. The facility currently houses the Young Achievers School of Mathematics and Science, which was approved for expansion and relocation to the Lewenberg Middle School building in Mattapan next year. The Superintendent also has proposed that students from selected elementary schools in Roslindale have priority for grade 6 seats at the new BTU Pilot School, in response to requests from parents for a K-8 program for that neighborhood.

To address the economic realities facing Boston Public Schools, the Superintendent’s plan includes the closing of six school buildings, as well as plans to reprogram other schools for different use. The following school facilities are proposed to be vacated next summer, unless they are identified for other purposes:

· Dickerman Elementary School, Dorchester
· Former Fuller Elementary School (currently housing Boston International High School), Jamaica Plain
· Hamilton Elementary School, Brighton
· Higginson Elementary School, Roxbury
· P.A. Shaw Elementary School, Dorchester
· Stone Elementary School, Dorchester

Superintendent Johnson stated that the recommendations were developed based on extensive data about the viability of programs and facilities, including: parent choices during registration, school and student achievement (MCAS, Adequate Yearly Progress, etc.), facilities condition, utilization rates, anticipated repair costs, availability of programs by neighborhood, and other factors.

The School Committee approved the changes prior to the start of the school choice process for next year, which includes open houses and other School Preview Time activities beginning this month, as well as a citywide Showcase of Schools in December. Registration begins in January for students entering kindergarten and grades 6 and 9 in September 2009.

For more information about the plan, visit http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/pathways.