Special Olympics Awards Four Boston Public Schools with National Banner

Special Olympics Massachusetts recently honored four Boston Public Schools with National Banner recognition for their efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities.

Special Olympics Honors Four Boston Public Schools with National Banner Recognition

BPS has four of only 17 schools in Massachusetts and 217 schools nationwide to achieve the status of National Banner School for the 2024-2025 school year.

BOSTON - DECEMBER 19, 2025- Special Olympics Massachusetts recently named Brighton High School, Mario Umana Academy, Trotter Elementary, and the Warren Prescott K-8 School as National Banner schools for their efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities. The four schools earned this distinguished status as a result of meeting 10 national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect. These standards were developed by a national panel of leaders from the Special Olympics and the education community.

"We are incredibly proud that four Boston Public Schools have been recognized as National Banner Unified Champion Schools," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. "This honor reflects our district's and schools’ commitment to creating inclusive environments where every student of all abilities can participate, lead, and thrive. Through programs like Unified Sports, inclusive youth leadership, and whole-school engagement, we move closer to building a more inclusive future across all of our schools."

The Unified Champion Schools® model is a strategy for schools Pre-K through university that intentionally promotes meaningful social inclusion by bringing together students with and without disabilities to create accepting school environments, utilizing three interconnected components: Unified Sports; inclusive youth leadership; and whole-school engagement. As many as 16 million young people are taking part in inclusive experiences through Special Olympics. National Banner Unified Champion Schools also demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future.

"At Warren Prescott, our students are at the center of everything we do and our school community works diligently every day to ensure that all our students have the opportunity to connect, lead, and learn alongside their peers of all abilities," said Principal Michele Davis, Warren-Prescott K-8 School. "Our collaborative efforts are grounded in this vision, allowing students to engage meaningfully with each other and helping build a school culture rooted in equity, respect, and inclusion."

Since October 2023, Boston Public Schools (BPS) has been implementing its landmark Inclusive Education Plan for the Boston Public Schools. The plan outlines systemic changes across all BPS divisions to close opportunity gaps and give every student access to rigorous and culturally affirming instruction. This Inclusive Education Plan will transform learning outcomes for all students, upholding the right of every student to be educated in the least-restrictive environment.

"Trotter Elementary celebrates the power of inclusion every day. Our students participate in Unified Sports and school-wide activities that foster understanding, leadership, and friendship across all abilities," said Principal Sarita Thomas, Trotter Elementary School. "Being named a National Banner School emphasizes our commitment to creating a learning environment where all students can thrive socially and academically."

Brighton High School has made history by becoming the first secondary school in Boston Public Schools to earn Special Olympics National Banner recognition. This achievement showcases the school’s commitment to creating an inclusive community where students of all abilities can fully participate in sports, leadership activities, and school life. With its unified sports programs and strong culture of belonging, Brighton sets a great example of what it means to achieve inclusive excellence at the high school level.

"At Brighton High School, our students are at the forefront of creating a community where everyone feels seen, supported, and included," said Principal Andrew Bott, Brighton High School. "This recognition highlights their dedication to uplifting one another, fostering strong friendships, and making our school a welcoming environment for all. We are incredibly proud of the leadership and compassion our students demonstrate every day, which has earned us the Special Olympics National Banner."

Photo: Piano Lab Ribbon Cutting at Umana Academy, 2025.

“This achievement reflects the power of inclusion, teamwork, and community. At the Umana, every student deserves to feel seen, valued, and celebrated, and earning the National Banner recognition affirms that belief,” said Principal Akua-Nia Francillon, Mario Umana Academy. “I am proud of our school, grateful for our dedicated educators, and inspired by our amazing young people who make the Umana a place where belonging and brilliance are lived every day.”

The Unified Champion Schools® model is supported by the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. This model has been proven, through research, to be an effective and replicable means to providing students with and without disabilities the opportunity to form positive social relationships and promote a socially inclusive school climate.

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Community Academy of Health & Science

On November 19, 2025, presented a recommendation to the Boston School Committee (BSC) to close Community Academy of Science & Health at the end of the 2026-2027 school year, in June 2027. The BSC voted to approve the closure on December 17, 2025.

Recommendation Information

The district recommended closing Community Academy of Science & Health at the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

This recommendation is based on a careful review of many factors, including the school’s ongoing decline in general education enrollment and significant underutilization of the building. Over the past two years, CASH has experienced a 20% decrease in its general education population and steadily rising churn rates. This makes it increasingly difficult to sustain consistent services, courses, and support for students. The building itself was designed to serve more than 700 students, while current enrollment is only 379. Because less than half of the available space is being used, the school cannot offer the wide range of academic programs, enrichment opportunities, and specialized services that students deserve in a fully resourced high school environment.

The school has been assigned a Senior Project Manager from the Capital Planning Team to help respond to the day-to-day needs of the school community in anticipation of this change. Stipended school-based Transition Support Coordinator will also be hired to assist with the transition process.

The district will work hand in hand with CASH School leadership to provide support for seamless transition for the school communities.

The Boston School Committee voted to approve the closure and merger recommendations on December 17, 2025.

CASH will no longer enroll new Grade 9 students beginning in Fall 2026. Students who are currently in Grade 12 will graduate as planned in June 2026, and students currently in Grade 11 will advance to Grade 12 next year and graduate in June 2027. All other students will receive priority placement in the high school registration process, and the district will work closely with every family to help select a new school that offers strong academic programming, supportive services, and opportunities aligned with each student’s goals.

Data

Appendix D: Additional Information on Closure Recommendations

Current Enrollment

Total: 379

Grade 9	Grade 10	Grade 11	Grade 12
73	75	113	118

Asian	Black	Hispanic	Other	White
4%	63%	28%	2%	2%

Students with disabilities: 38%
Multilingual learners: 39%

Administratively Assigned

39%

Concentration of specialized programs for students with high needs

25% of students

25% substantially separate
0% SLIFE

Students living near the school

70.8% of students live within 2 miles of the school

Special Ed and ML Programs

ABA
Specific Learning Disability
Mild Intellectual Impairment
Moderate Intellectual Impairment

Building Capacity

692

Facilities Condition Score

47 out of 100

Materials

CASH Community Meeting - Virtual (December 4, 2025)

CASH Community Meeting - In Person (December 11, 2025)

Slidedeck: English | Español | Kreyòl Ayisyen | Português | Tiếng Việt

Student Transition Guides

English | Español | العربية | Cabo-Verdiano | 中文 | Français | Kreyòl Ayisyen | Português | Soomaali | Tiếng Việt

Staff Transition Guide

English | Español | العربية | Cabo-Verdiano | 中文 | Français | Kreyòl Ayisyen | Português | Soomaali | Tiếng Việt

City of Boston

CONTACT

Capital Planning Department

capitalplanning@bostonpublicschools.org

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State Names Six Boston Public Schools as Schools of Recognition

Special Olympics Honors Four Boston Public Schools with National Banner Recognition

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