BPS and City of Boston Announce Completed Upgrades at Otis Elementary School

The City of Boston and BPS are announcing the completion of building upgrades at the James Otis Elementary School in East Boston that will improve student health, classroom comfort, and reduce the school’s carbon emissions.

Boston Public Schools and City of Boston Announce Completed Air Quality, Cooling and Energy Efficiency Upgrades at Otis Elementary School in East Boston

The project sets an example for schools across the nation for improving student health while reducing carbon emissions

BOSTON – June 22, 2026 - The City of Boston and Boston Public Schools (BPS) are announcing the completion of building upgrades at the James Otis Elementary School in East Boston that will improve student health, classroom comfort, and reduce the school’s carbon emissions. This building retrofit is the first of its kind in BPS and sets a national example for reducing exposure to pollution within an environmental justice community.

“The Otis Elementary School students and school community now have a healthier, more comfortable, and more energy efficient building,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “These improvements and investments across the district are critical to ensuring our buildings support the best experience for students and staff, while helping us advance our climate goals.”

Prior to the building upgrade, the 121-year-old Otis Elementary School did not have available electrical system capacity to install air conditioning or fresh air delivery systems. These constraints posed challenges to classroom comfort, indoor air quality, and student health and learning. The Otis Elementary School is located merely two blocks from Logan Airport, Route 1A, and 1-90, resulting in higher levels of pollution exposure compared to other BPS facilities. By upgrading the building’s electrical system capacity, BPS was able to install heat pumps, fresh air delivery systems, HEPA filtration units, improved lighting, weatherization, and water-saving fixtures to introduce cooling into the building while improving the Otis Elementary School’s indoor air quality and energy efficiency.

In April, Mayor Wu announced the release of Boston's 2030 Climate Action Plan, a roadmap for how the City will reduce community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The Otis Elementary School was upgraded through the Renew Boston Trust program, a City initiative to improve energy efficiency and resiliency in municipal buildings. Through Renew Boston Trust’s energy efficiency upgrades, the City is saving $2.3 million a year in taxpayer dollars. While three newly constructed BPS schools are powered without burning fossil fuels on site, the Otis Elementary School is the first BPS facility modernized through a retrofit to no longer rely on fossil fuels. Later this year, the City will finish construction on a geothermal system at the JFK Elementary School in Jamaica Plain. In addition to HVAC systems, the Renew Boston Trust program has also installed solar panel arrays on four schools.

More than half of BPS buildings were built before World War II, and in 2021, only 38 school buildings had cooling systems. Today, after multiple years of sustained capital investment, more than 100 school buildings have cooling systems, with three additional HVAC projects underway and targeted for completion in 2027.

The Otis Elementary School retrofit was made possible through a $5.7 million City investment and a $1.5 million grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Green School Works program. BPS also leveraged $342,000 in Mass Save incentives for the clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades.

“This building upgrade at the Otis Elementary School is a perfect example of how climate action delivers huge benefits to our communities,” said Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Environment Commissioner and Green New Deal Director for the City of Boston. “These community-led solutions improve our children’s health, lower carbon emissions, and ensure every neighborhood can access a more sustainable future.”

“The improvements at the Otis Elementary School reflect our commitment to creating learning environments that meet the needs of students today while preparing our buildings for the changing climate,” said Katherine Walsh, Director of Planning, Engineering, Sustainability, & Environment at Boston Public Schools. “As we continue investing in facilities across Boston Public Schools, our focus remains on ensuring that every student has access to safe, healthy, and high-quality spaces that support teaching and learning during every season.”

“It’s hard for students to learn and for teachers to teach in uncomfortable, poorly ventilated school buildings,” said Ben Downing, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “The improvements at Otis Elementary School in East Boston are part of a statewide effort by the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Massachusetts Legislature to modernize local public schools—because our kids and teachers deserve healthy, comfortable, and energy-efficient places to learn and work.”

“The addition of central air conditioning and an advanced air filtration system at our historic 1905 Otis Elementary School has been truly transformative,” said Paula Cerqueira-Goncalves, Principal of the Otis Elementary School. “This project proves that with creativity, collaboration, and a willingness to think outside the box, even our oldest school buildings can be modernized to provide the safe, healthy, and high-quality learning conditions that all students deserve in BPS and across the nation.”

“The new HVAC system has been such a blessing during these recent warm days. It has also allowed us to finally be able to comfortably sit in classrooms along with 20 or more adults attending welcome sessions in September, Academic Parent-Teacher Team meetings in May, and end-of-the-year classroom events in June,” said Vicky Lynch, a parent of three students at the Otis Elementary School. “Not only has it benefited the parents, but our children are also coming home from school on these warm May and June days noticeably less irritable, which I can imagine every parent and teacher is grateful for!”

BPS has been recognized by the United Nations as a world leader in indoor air quality management. In 2021, BPS leveraged federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to install 4,400 air quality sensors across the district to measure and improve air quality and thermal comfort for a better teaching and learning environment. Real-time data is available on BPS’s public dashboard. This first-of-its-kind network in K-12 schools has enabled BPS to engage in a research partnership with Boston University School of Public Health and secure $22 million in grant funds for building improvements.

BPS school buildings are closed from Wednesday, July 1 – Tuesday, September 1.

Boston Public Schools is ready to help families with questions over the summer. Below is information about how students and families can reach BPS offices during the summer months, as well as key dates for the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Key Dates

Monday, September 7: Labor Day - All Schools & Central Offices Closed

Tuesday, September 8: First Day of School for all Students in Grades 1-12

Thursday, September 10: First Day of School for all Students in Kindergarten

BPS Helpline

The BPS Helpline is open all summer and is an excellent resource for students and families.

Monday to Friday - 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Last Wednesday of every month - 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Helpline can be reached at 617-635-8873 or via email at helpline@bostonpublicschools.org.

The Helpline can provide families with support in the following areas over the summer:

Summer Program Registration Support
- 5th Quarter Summer Program Registration
- Extended School Year RSVP
Work Permit Requests
- Students and Families can complete the Work Permit Request form.
Office of Specialized Services Evaluation Request Support
- Please Note - the evaluation process will not resume until September
Technical Support
- ChromeBook Support
- Transcript Requests Support
Mental Health Support
- The Helpline can connect students with a social worker.

Summer Meals

BPS is excited to offer free summer meals (breakfast and lunch) to all kids and teens, ages 18 and under, at locations across the City of Boston. No identification or pre-registration is required.

All Summer Meal sites are open to the public beginning Tuesday, July 7 to Friday, August 7, with breakfast being served from 8 to 10 a.m., and lunch service running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.:

Breakfast & Lunch - Sites and Addresses

Breakfast & Lunch - Sites and Addresses

Adams Elementary School (165 Webster Street in East Boston)
Boston Adult Tech Academy (20 Church Street in Bay Village)
Boston Arts Academy (174 Ipswich Street, Fenway/Kenmore)
Boston Green Academy (20 Warren Ave. in Brighton)
Boston International High School / Newcomers Academy (100 Maxwell Street in Dorchester)
Boston Latin School (78 Ave. Louis Pasteur, Longwood Medical Area)
Community Academy of Science and Health (11 Charles Street in Dorchester)
Curley K-8 School (40 Pershing Road in Jamaica Plain)
Dearborn 6-12 STEM Academy (36 Winthrop Street in Roxbury)
Dudley Street Neighborhood School (6 Shirley Street Roxbury)
East Boston Early Education Center (122 Gove Street in East Boston)
East Boston High School (86 White Street in East Boston)
Eliot K-8 Innovation School (585 Commercial Street in the North End)
Ellis Elementary School (302 Walnut Ave. in Roxbury)
Ellison-Parks Early Education School (108 Babson Street in Mattapan)
Gardner Pilot Academy (30 Athol Street in Allston)
Greater Egleston High School (80 School Street in Roxbury)
Grew Elementary School (40 Gordon Ave. in Hyde Park)
Haley Pilot School (570 American Legion Hwy. in Roslindale)
Haynes Early Education Center (263 Blue Hill Ave. in Roxbury)
Henderson Lower (1669 Dorchester Ave. in Dorchester)
Higginson Inclusion K0-2 School (160 Harrishof Street in Roxbury)
Albert Holland School of Technology (60 Washington Street in Dorchester)
Horace Mann School for the Deaf Hard of Hearing (28 Walker Street in Charlestown)
PJ Kennedy School (242 Bennington Street in East Boston)
Edward M. Kennedy Academy Lower Campus (152 Arlington Street)
King K-6 School (77 Lawrence Ave. in Dorchester)
Lyndon K-8 School (20 Mt Vernon Street in West Roxbury)
Manning Elementary School (130 Louders Lane in Jamaica Plain)
Mario Umana Academy (312 Border Street in East Boston)
Mildred Avenue K-8 School (5 Mildred Ave. in Mattapan)
New Mission High School (655 Metropolitan Ave. in Hyde Park)
Ohrenberger School (175 West Boundary Road in West Roxbury)
Orchard Gardens K-8 School (906 Albany Street in Roxbury)
Perry School (745 East Seventh Street in South Boston)
Quincy Elementary School (885 Washington Street in the South End)
Quincy Upper School (900 Washington Street in the South End)
Roosevelt Lower School (30 Millstone Road in Hyde Park)
Ruth Batson Academy (315 Mt Vernon Street in Dorchester)
Sarah Roberts Elementary School (105 Cummins Hwy. in Roslindale)
TechBoston Academy (9 Peacevale Road in Dorchester)
Trotter School (135 Humboldt Ave. in Roxbury)
Tynan Elementary School (650 East Fourth Street in South Boston)
Warren-Prescott K-8 School (50 School Street in Charlestown)
UP Academy Dorchester (35 Westville Street in Dorchester)

Welcome Services

A cheerful sun and colorful summer treats adorn the background of a flyer announcing the summer hours for Boston Public Schools' Roxbury Welcome Center.

The Roxbury Welcome Center will be open to the public on the following days, effective Monday, June 29, through Friday, July 31:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The following BPS Welcome Centers will be closed for the summer beginning Monday, June 29 - Friday, July 31, and will reopen on Monday, August 3:

East Boston Welcome Center
Dorchester Welcome Center
Roslindale Welcome Center

Families can complete the registration process online through the Great Starts platform. Please email welcomeservices@bostonpublicschools.org with any questions.

Transportation

Summer Operations

The Transportation Department will be available during the summer to support families with questions. BPS families can contact the Transportation Hotline at 617-635-9520 Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Transportation will be providing yellow bus service to students attending Extended School Year (ESY) programming, organized by the Office of Specialized Services (OSS).

MBTA M7 Passes

All BPS students in grades 7 through 12 will be able to utilize their MBTA M7 passes through August 31 to ride MBTA trains, buses, and the Commuter Rail at free or reduced fares.
If a student requires a replacement pass, a parent or guardian can contact the Transportation Department at 617-635-9520 or submit a request through our support portal to schedule an appointment for pickup, while supplies last. Please note that parents will need to present a valid ID when picking up the replacement pass.
New MBTA M7 passes will be available for BPS students starting on the first day of school, which is Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten Transition

Welcome Gift Bags - Incoming Kindergarteners can pick up their Welcome Gift Bag at Boston Public Library Branches starting on Wednesday, July 1. Inside the bags, students will find their yellow "I'm Going to Kindergarten" T-shirt and a yellow ticket with a QR code leading to the Countdown to Kindergarten Summer Guide of resources.

Summer Guide - The Countdown to Kindergarten Summer Guide will have information about some special activities at local museums that you can only access on certain dates while wearing your "I'm Going to Kindergarten" T-shirt.

Digital versions available below:

Kindergarten Days (“K Days”)

Kindergarten Days (“K Days”) - A special collaboration between Countdown to Kindergarten and the Boston Public Library, designed for families with children entering kindergarten for the first time in Boston Public Schools. The K Days take place in August at most Boston Library branches around the city, and families are encouraged to attend the location that works better for them. These two-hour events include an hour of activities, a circle time meeting, music and movement, and snack time.

Digital versions available below:

Annual Citywide Kindergarten Celebration

Annual Citywide Kindergarten Celebration - Incoming kindergarten families will receive a postcard invitation in the mail to participate in our Annual Citywide Celebration on Tuesday, August 25, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Boston Children's Museum. Families will get to play in the exhibits, meet costume characters and receive a backpack full of school supplies.

Find additional information about these activities at countdowntokindergarten.org.

Division of Student Support

BPS Student Support Hotline

Any BPS student, parent, or caregiver can contact the BPS Student Support Hotline at 617-858-7881 anytime during the summer to be connected to:

Immediate guidance and support from knowledgeable staff who can help families navigate challenges and connect to the right services quickly.
Access to critical student supports, including mental health, wellness, social-emotional, academic, attendance, housing, food, and family assistance resources.
A trusted entry point to Boston Public Schools during the summer, ensuring families remain connected to opportunities, programs, enrichment activities, and individualized support when school is not in session.

Forever Summer 2026

Forever summer 2026 is a comprehensive lineup of quality summer programs designed to engage, develop, and empower Boston Public School Students. Each program provides meaningful opportunities for students to build skills, confidence and connections. Our goal is to create a summer experience where every student is active, learning, and growing in a safe and supportive environment.

You Got It Girl

Our camp is designed for girls ages 6–16 and focuses on empowering young women through basketball, leadership development, and building strong, confident minds. In addition to basketball training, participants will engage in activities like yoga, mindfulness resilience training, and social skills groups. Our camp emphasizes mental health, self-confidence, and the joy of stepping outside one’s comfort zone through athletics.

Dates: July 6–August 7, 2026

Location: Orchard Gardens K–8 School

Lunch: We provide lunch each day for all campers

For any questions, please feel free to reach out. We look forward to seeing your child at the camp!

Trading Spaces Career Exploratory

Dates: July 6–August 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Location: Madison Park
Grades: 9–12

Trading Spaces is a hands on career exploration program for high school students. Each week, students will be introduced to a different career pathway or trade, giving them exposure to real world skills and future employment opportunities.

Program focus areas include video production, real estate, sports refereeing, barbering, business, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Students will learn from professionals, participate in practical activities, and gain a better understanding of career options that can lead to employment, entrepreneurship, or additional training after high school.

6-Won-7 Summer Sundays 2026

Start Date: June 28, 2026

6-WON-7 Summer Sundays is a weekly Sunday enrichment, wellness, and engagement program for students and families. The program offers a wide range of activities designed to help young people stay active, connected, and supported during the summer.

Activities may include basketball, boxing, food access, youth jobs, volleyball, soccer, hip hop dance, community staffing opportunities, chess, 7-on-7 football, yoga, swimming, and steel drumming. This program is designed to create a positive Sunday space where students can participate in athletics, wellness, arts, career exposure, and community-building activities.

Sports Leadership Camp

Dates: July 6–August 7, 2026
Ages: 8–13

The Sports Leadership Academy is a summer program that combines athletic exploration with leadership development and character building. Students will participate in multisport activities while also developing teamwork, communication, leadership, and social-emotional skills.

Program highlights include sports-based learning, team-building activities, NBA Math Hoops, community outreach, interactive workshops, and guest speakers. This program is designed for students who enjoy sports and want to build confidence, leadership, and positive decision-making skills.

Young Wall Street

Dates: July 6–August 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Location: TBA
Grades: 9–12

Young Wall Street is a financial literacy and business development program for high school students. Students will learn about investing, trading, budgeting, portfolio development, entrepreneurship, communication, and leadership.

The program will include real world case studies connected to finance and business, guest speakers from finance, investment, and government, and group projects that help students apply what they learn. Students will also participate in a capstone “Shark Tank” style pitch competition where they can present ideas and demonstrate their business learning.

Playmaker Boys Basketball Camp (June)

Dates: June 30–July 3, 2026
Day Session: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Evening Session: 6:00 PM–8:15 PM for high school open run
Location: Madison Park Gym
Grades: 3–9 for day session

The Playmaker Boys Basketball Camp is designed for students who want to improve their basketball skills, basketball IQ, confidence, and leadership. The day session will focus on skill development, team building, competition, and fundamentals.

The evening session will provide high school players with training and open run opportunities. Students will learn from experienced BPS alumni, professional basketball players, and coaches who will focus on player development, effort, discipline, and growth.

Bro-Code 2026

Dates: July 6–August 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Grades: Boys in grades 3–9

Bro-Code is a technology-based summer program that introduces boys to coding, gaming, esports, game design, and artificial intelligence. Students will participate in hands-on learning through CodeCombat, Roblox Studio, introductory machine learning concepts, and esports team activities.

The program is designed to make technology engaging and accessible while helping students build problem-solving skills, creativity, teamwork, digital confidence, and early exposure to future career pathways in technology, gaming, and computer science.

Sis-Code 2026

Dates: July 6–August 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
Grades: Girls in grades 3–9

Sis-Code is a technology, gaming, and coding program designed to create space for girls to explore the world of computer science and digital innovation. Students will engage in coding through CodeCombat, game development using Roblox Studio, esports participation, introductory artificial intelligence concepts, and hands-on technology projects.

The goal of Sis-Code is to help girls build confidence in technology, develop problem-solving and collaboration skills, and see themselves as creators, leaders, and future innovators in STEM-related fields

Playmaker Volleyball 2026

Playmaker Girls Volleyball Camp

Dates: August 17–August 21, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM–2:30 PM
Location: Madison Park Gymnasium
Grades: 2–12

The Playmaker Girls Volleyball Camp is designed to help students develop volleyball skills, confidence, teamwork, and leadership. Students will receive coaching focused on fundamentals, technique, positioning, game IQ, strategy, and positive competition.
This camp is a supportive environment where students can train, compete, and grow while building confidence on the court. The program emphasizes skill development, smart decision-making, teamwork, leadership, and a positive competitive spirit.

Playmaker Camp Basketball

Dates: August 24–August 28, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM–3:00 PM
Location: Madison Park Gymnasium

Playmaker Camp Basketball is a late-summer basketball and youth development program focused on preparing students for the school year through athletics, mentorship, and personal growth. Students will participate in skills and drills, player development, communication activities, mentorship, guest speaker sessions, esports, financial literacy, and high-quality coaching.

The program is designed to help students build confidence, improve basketball fundamentals, develop leadership skills, and connect with positive coaches and mentors before the start of school.

Athletics

2026 Fall Start Dates

These dates are for MIAA Interscholastic sports. Please note that some schools and sports may start at a later date. Please confirm with the Athletics Department and/or your student’s school in advance.

Monday, August 24, 2026
- Football
- Girls Soccer
- Boys Soccer
- Girls Volleyball
- Cross Country
- Cheerleading
- Girls Swimming (Boston Latin School)
- Boys Golf (Boston Latin School)
- Crew (Boston Latin School)

Eligibility

BPS students must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 1.67 or higher to participate in Athletics.
- Please Note: Schools may choose to have a higher GPA for athletic participation.
Students must pass four (4) core classes.
Students are required to have a school attendance rate of 90% or higher, in alignment with current BPS Attendance Policy.
A physical examination completed within the last 13 months stating that the student-athlete is or is not cleared for athletics that does not expire before the end of the season, with sports clearance from the athletic trainer and school nurse.
Students who turn 19 before September 1 of the current academic year are ineligible unless an age waiver is granted by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).

Sports Interest/Registration:

Any student interested in participating in fall sports should register in Aspen. Please note: The registration process can not be completed on a cell phone, and step by step directions from the student’s view are available here.

If you are unable to register for Athletics, it is expected that you can register for fall sports following the Aspen Student Information System (SIS) update in mid-August.

Athletic Physicals

Massachusetts State Law and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) requires students to have a valid physical or pre-participation examination (PPE) completed within the last 13 months to be eligible to participate. This must include a healthcare provider's signature (can be an electronic signature), date, date of the exam, and include a statement that they are medically clear or eligible to participate in athletics/sports.

Contact/Questions

Physicals / Athletic Training: Please send an email, including a copy of the physical, to bpsathleticphysical@bostonpublicschools.org and include the student’s ID number, school, season, and sport. The athletic trainers will share all physicals they receive with the school nurses.

General Athletic Questions: Please email athletics@bostonpublicschools.org or call 617-635-8143.

Mental Health Resources

Throughout the summer, the BPS social workers are available to support students and families Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Should any students or families need any mental health support over the summer, some resources are listed below. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

Call or email the BPS Helpline at 617-635-8873 at helpline@bostonpublicschools.org. The Helpline is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and can connect students with a social worker.
Call or text the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline at 833-773-2445. A 24- hour a day hotline that can connect students and families with Mental Health Clinicians who can provide clinical guidance and can direct students and families to resources. Interpretation is available for students and families in over 200+ languages.

Additional summer mental health resources can be found in the informational sheets.

Wellness Wednesdays - Office of Health & Wellness

Let’s get moving with BPS Moves Together this summer!

The Office of Health and Wellness will be offering physical activity and wellness programming over the summer vacation. All BPS students and families are invited and encouraged to participate.

Dates and Location - Coming Soon

Be sure to check the BPS Moves Together website for the latest updates on programming from the Office of Health and Wellness this summer.

You can also view a full list of programs offered by our Boston community partners.

School’s Out, but Have a Question? Summer Contacts and Resources

Summer Operations

MBTA M7 Passes