A globe attached to a homemade car toy sitting on a table with plants

Boston Public Schools Celebrates Earth Day and Efforts to Build a More Sustainable School District

As we celebrate Earth Day, Boston Public Schools acknowledges the critical role that the district plays in combating the climate crisis, which we know disproportionately impacts underserved communities.

Boston Public Schools Celebrates Earth Day and Efforts to Build a More Sustainable School District

As we celebrate Earth Day, Boston Public Schools (BPS) acknowledges the critical role that the district plays in combating the climate crisis, which we know disproportionately impacts underserved communities. BPS has been working for years to ensure our sustainability efforts help us reduce this impact on the students and families we serve.

Most recently, BPS received the 2024 Best of Green Schools Awards - District Award and 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Award. However, the work is not done.

“We know that we must support our students and help them become the climate action leaders that our communities need,” said Superintendent Mary Skipper. “I am committed to ensuring that our district is a model for how we teach our students about the importance of sustainability and climate. Our operational decisions and investments make Boston a national leader in many areas including facilities management, transportation, food and nutrition services, and teaching and learning.”

District Investments in Air and Water Quality

The district’s work includes the installation of 4,400 Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Sensors, which allows Facilities Management to monitor air quality and temperature inside and outside school buildings and share results on a public dashboard. The BPS IAQ Management Plan is being used as a model by other K-12 districts across the U.S., and our adopted standards are influencing state and federal policy and funding for IAQ in K-12 schools.

The district has also invested in the installation of filtered bottle refill stations in schools across the city to improve access to safe drinking water and move schools from single use water bottles. To date, nearly 750 filtered bottle refill stations have been installed in 84 schools through the BPS Drinking Water Access Initiative saving the district $485,000 annually in bottled water costs. The district is working to expand access, with more schools expected to have water stations installed in the coming years.

District Food Waste Collection Programs

Last school year, BPS Food and Nutrition Services partnered with the Facilities Department to expand the BPS Food Waste Collection Program and diverted approximately 250,000 pounds of food waste from landfills. This school year, the program will expand to include 10 additional school kitchens, bringing the total to 32 participating schools.

“BPS sustainability and climate action are rooted in our commitment to health and safety, equity, and community collaboration. Our work in academics and operations prioritizes a commitment to creating healthier, greener environments,” said BPS Assistant Director of Planning, Engineering, Sustainability, & Environment Katherine Walsh. “Our work also reflects the student voice - students rightfully demand investments in environmental education, green jobs, and sustainable environments, and are leading climate justice efforts.”

Outdoor Teaching and Learning

Our schoolyards are just as important as our indoor environments. BPS continues to invest in outdoor teaching and learning. Facilities Management partners with the Science, Technology, and Engineering Department to provide a Teaching and Learning Outdoors Champions Program for BPS teachers, with about 40 teachers enrolled, receiving support through Professional Development, materials budgets, and stipends. Many of the champions are also supported by our BPS garden partners.

Since the 2022-2023 school year, Facilities Management has invested $840,000 to install school garden programs at 60 schools. Over the three year period, these schools have received more than $2.6 million in raised bed garden programming and services from the garden partners, accounting for 180 teaching and learning hours weekly. Facilities Management also supports 38 outdoor classrooms and five school hydroponics programs.

“Sustainability and climate are intentionally integrated throughout our core science curriculum, helping all students connect their learning to the world around them,” said BPS K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering Program Director Nicole Guttenberg, PhD. “Our vision is to inspire students to understand, care about, and take action on the ways our lives and choices shape the climate and our shared future.”

School Climate and Sustainability Curriculums

Our sustainability and climate work is also taking shape at the school level, with schools like Boston Green Academy empowering students to be a key part of the transition to a greener, more just world by embedding sustainability into many aspects of the school experience, from the classroom curriculum, as well as beyond the school campus into the community. BGA aspires to make their sustainability and climate curriculum a whole school endeavor, not just something that students learn about in science or math classrooms. A winner of the 2019 U.S Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Award, BGA continued to be a model green school in Boston and beyond.

"We know our students can be the next generation of green leaders, whether solving local issues or contributing to national solutions," said Boston Green Academy Head of School Matt Holzer. “The climate crisis impacts everyone, especially in urban areas like Boston, and we want our kids to have the skills and knowledge to make a difference.”

Additionally, BGA works to build key student skills through their Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program, which is the district’s only Environmental Science and Technology CTE program. The BGA CTE program annually sees about 25% of Grades 9-12 students participate in the program, which allows students to partner with industry leaders for internships and explore the career possibilities in this growing and important field. Upon completion of the BGA CTE program, students will also receive valuable industry-wide certifications that can open doors to employment and strengthen college applications.

"I never really cared about sustainability, even after all the sustainability this school has tried to push on me, one of my classes about Engineering and Green Physics kind of made me open up my eyes,” said Jaden Dominique, a Boston Green Academy Grade 12 Student. “When we were learning about the Upcycling project and although I didn't do well on it, it still showed me what's happening in the real world, and now, even though I'm hesitant, I'm even doing a sustainability internship that I never thought I would do."

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District Immigration Guidance

Letters from the Superintendent

April 9, 2025: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Termination of Parole Letter
January 22, 2025: Our Commitment to Welcoming School Communities

April 9, 2025: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Termination of Parole Letter

April 9, 2025

Dear BPS Community:

We want to take a moment to acknowledge a difficult situation affecting some of our students and families. The District is aware that several students received communication from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) titled “Termination of Parole,” informing them that the CHNV Parole Program is being terminated. We understand that this news will likely strike many as disheartening, frightening, and overwhelming. The communication from the Department includes recommendations to leave the United States immediately, as well as notice of parole termination and the end of employment authorization.

We want to assure our families of a critical and unwavering truth: the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that all students have the right to attend public schools regardless of their immigration status. All residents of Boston have the right to a free public education through Boston Public Schools. We remain fully committed to providing every student with a welcoming, supportive environment and a world class education.

If you have questions about what this DHS communication means for your family or need additional support, we encourage you to reach out to your School Leader, who can help point you to known resources. While BPS is not able to offer direct legal advice or representation, we are aware of community organizations that provide these services. A list of these resources can be found on our website under Family Resources. The direct link is: (https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/students-families/district-immigration-guidance/district-immigration-guidance-resources). We also want our community members to be cautious of non-attorneys charging attorneys fees for completing immigration related paperwork and scams; only immigration lawyers and accredited representatives should provide legal advice and help fill out forms.

We also encourage you to stay informed about what transpires with the CHNV program. Previously, in cases of other immigration programs (like TPS) that the new federal administration has sought to end, legal challenges have ensued, delaying the termination of the immigration program in question. For instance, DoeNoem, Case No. 1:25-cv-10495 (D. Mass.), is a lawsuit challenging the Executive Order directing DHS to end all several parole programs.

As your Superintendent, I want to personally express my care and concern for each and every student and family impacted by this situation. If a family or student receives a termination of parole letter, we ask that they speak with their School Leader in person or by phone.

Please know that you are not alone. We are here for you, and we will continue to stand beside our students and families during this uncertain time.

With care and solidarity,

Mary E. Skipper

Superintendent

Boston Public Schools

January 22, 2025: Our Commitment to Welcoming School Communities

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Dear Boston Public Schools Community,

In Boston Public Schools, we celebrate our rich diversity, which contributes to a vibrant community and experience for all our students. When we welcome our more than 48,000 students into school every day, they deserve to be children–focused on learning in their classrooms, performing on stage, striving to be the best they can in their sport, or exploring their passion for learning and growing.

I want to both remind and reassure our BPS community of our responsibilities and legal obligation to our students and families.

As public educators, our focus across BPS is to ensure that every student who resides in Boston has access to the quality public education they are entitled to, regardless of immigration status, their race and ethnicity, the language they speak or the area of the city they live.
BPS cannot require or ask students or caregivers for information regarding immigration status or citizenship.
BPS does not share personally identifiable student information with law enforcement or federal immigration enforcement agencies without a court order or lawfully issued subpoena, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
BPS cannot recognize administrative warrants, detainers, or other documents issued by an agency enforcing civil immigration law, as this is barred under FERPA.
BPS complies with all laws, and we have a policy that no unauthorized adults are allowed into school buildings.

As part of an ongoing review of visitor and school safety guidelines, BPS has provided support to school administrators to ensure an understanding of their legal obligations to students under federal and state law, as well as District policy. Our team has provided guidance to school leaders and family-facing staff. We remain focused and committed to our responsibility to educate and care for ALL our students.

We will continue to provide information and aid to our parents and caregivers, sharing those resources in our nine major BPS languages. Our Family Resource Specialists will work closely with the community through our English Learner Advisory Committees. The BPS Helpline is available to answer questions from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays at 617-635-8873 or via email at helpline@bostonpublicschools.org. Additionally, the Office of Civil Rights will continue to enforce our policies prohibiting discrimination, including on the basis of national origin.

We will ensure that these District efforts are continuous as they reflect our values and commitment to all students and families in BPS. We will regularly communicate with our school communities and community partners, provide training and guidance opportunities to staff, and remain focused and committed to our responsibility to educate and care for all our students. I am humbled to be your Superintendent and look forward to learning with and from our community as we deliver on the promise of our mission: every student, every classroom, every school.

In partnership,

Mary Skipper

Superintendent