BuildBPS Phase II Proposed Facility Plan 2018 - 2027 A Message from Interim Superintendent Perille Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, Staff, and Community Members: As the Boston Public Schools enters Phase II of the BuildBPS 10-year educational and facilities planning process, the district is pleased to release a proposed plan for public discussion and continued review. Significant work has been done over the last three years to develop a plan that allows the district to strategically, equitably, and responsibly transform its facilities landscape to benefit our students. This proposed plan encompasses stakeholders’ feedback, aspirations, and goals, along with the data and ideas needed to bring them to fruition. Thanks to the commitment of Mayor Martin J. Walsh and leadership from the Boston School Committee, BuildBPS represents an important leap and historic opportunity to provide 21st-century learning environments to BPS students. This proposed plan outlines a framework to expand equity, access to quality learning environments, and predictability of school pathways for more students and families. Our guiding principles include: • Expanding access to quality learning environments for more students • Locating new or expanded buildings in neighborhoods with high student need and low current access • Creating more equitable program placement and learning opportunities for our most vulnerable students, including students with special needs and English learners • Reducing pre-K-12 transitions by creating clear pathways for more students By 2027, the Boston Public Schools hopes to have up to twelve new school buildings or major transformations of buildings completed or under construction. The district also plans to increase the number of students making one transition during their K-12 experience by reconfiguring up to twenty more pre-K-6 elementary schools and seven more 6/7-12 secondary schools, while preserving strong K-8/9-12 options for families. The proposed plan will be the subject matter of our public conversations over the next few months and years. While the plan is technical, at times, and focused on facilities, it is designed to improve the overall educational experience for all children. This report is meant to establish a common understanding of what the district proposes to do, the underlying data and rationale for these actions, and the areas for public dialogue and feedback. This and future reports will serve as a continuous blueprint reflecting our collective agreements and a record of each phase of BuildBPS implementation. On behalf of the BuildBPS planning team and colleagues across the district who have contributed to this effort, we are honored to work with you to improve our city’s educational landscape. In partnership, Laura Perille Interim Superintendent, Boston Public Schools TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 2 7 Introduction 19 The Build BPS Proposed 10-Year Plan 10 A Look Back: BuildBPS History and Background 22 The BuildBPS Proposed Plan: A Neighborhood View 11 BuildBPS Goals 25 An Explanation of the Maps 13 BuildBPS Educational Vision 28 Dorchester 16 BuildBPS Community Engagement 36 Roxbury 43 Mattapan Background and Goals Proposed 10-Year Plan Proposed 10-Year 50 East Boston 57 Hyde Park 65 Back Bay/Beacon Hill/ Fenway/South End 72 Roslindale 80 West Roxbury 88 Jamaica Plain/Mission Hill 95 Allston-Brighton 102 Charlestown/Downtown 108 South Boston 3 4 116 Conclusion 118 Appendix A The Internal BuildBPS Team 119 Appendix B Fact Base, Key Facts Conclusion Appendices 138 Appendix C BuildBPS Fiscal Planning and Recent Investments 141 Appendix D BuildBPS Projects by Category 1. New Builds & Expansions 2. Renovations and Reconfigurations 3. System-wide Initiatives 4. Capital Repairs 5. Real Estate Management 165 Appendix E Bibliography of Grade Reconfig- urations and Transitions Research 6 1 1 BACKGROUND AND GOALS 1 BACKGROUND AND GOALS BACKGROUND — BUILDBPS 7 Introduction BuildBPS was designed to be the strategic ° Predictable and transparent building frame for long-term facilities investment and capital planning processes that will in support of the district’s educational allow the district to continue opening vision. Although learning can and does new school buildings or conducting occur anywhere, the fact is that buildings major renovations on existing buildings matter. Students must be prepared to every 1-2 years after 2027. innovate, design, leverage technology, engage, and work collaboratively, in The proposed plan was designed first using person and remotely. BPS building spaces the district’s educational vision and then must be designed to support the shifts with a focus on increasing equity and to classroom learning that have and will access to quality, and reducing school continue to evolve. The environments in transitions for students. The new and which teaching and learning take place improved facilities this plan details aim to contribute to the overall student learning ensure high quality learning environments experience and performance of schools. for all students, which will contribute to closing opportunity gaps for our learners. The proposed BuildBPS plan reflects The proposed plan calls for new and a significant shift from a reactive and expanded buildings to prioritize space isolated approach to addressing the for specialized programs serving students district’s building needs to a predictable, with special needs and English learners. strategic and transparent capital planning This will increase equitable placement of process. This report outlines the proposed students in these programs and increase 10-year arc of BuildBPS Phase II for student access to a broad array of schools community comment. This proposal for our most vulnerable populations. BPS represents Boston’s largest school building will leverage this opportunity to reduce plan in 40 years and will result in: school transitions for K-12 students and families by creating up to 20 additional 1 ° Up to 12 new schools or major schools serving grades K-6 and seven more transformations completed or school buildings serving grades 7-12, while under construction by 2027 preserving strong K-8 and 9-12 options. ° New or expanded buildings in BPS will implement a new approach neighborhoods with high student to identifying existing schools for new need and low current access buildings based on ensuring a diverse range ° Increased investments district-wide of programs focused on student needs, including ongoing maintenance beginning with programs for our most and repairs for all school valuable learners. Individual schools or buildings and communities teams of schools that are willing to meet the program expectations may submit a 8 1 proposal for consideration to move into Of equal impact is the work that will a new school facility. A team will review take place to transition middle grades the proposed plans and recommend (6 to 8) from stand-alone schools to moving forward with the proposal that primarily schools serving grades K-6/7-12 best meets the needs of all students. or K-8/9-12 over time. By reconfiguring Family and community engagement will the grade composition, BPS will create be included in every step of the process. stronger feeder patterns and reduce school transitions for students. This While the proposed BuildBPS Phase II work is critical as BPS middle schools (6 plan is full of opportunity and will provide remaining in district, down from 16 in a strategic path forward to an improved 2009) have struggled with sustainability educational experience in our schools, in the face of significant declining it will not be accomplished without enrollment, which often results in limited making difficult decisions. Most notably, programming and enrichment activities. BuildBPS is addressing long-standing issues with maintaining school facilities The transition toward a primary K-6/7- (deferred maintenance), beginning with 12 and K-8/9-12 district will begin with critical facility issues at the West Roxbury the McCormack building in June 2020. Education Complex (WREC). The building The building will be renovated and is in such a state of disrepair that we become the home of a school serving recommend it be closed at the end of grades 7-12. The district will collaborate June 2019. In order to maximize the with McCormack staff - with input from investments the building requires, WREC families, students and partners - to will undergo a complete rebuild to reopen identify a high school partner to develop as a BPS secondary school (7-12 or 9-12). a 7-12 school plan for the new building. Other middle schools will transition over The closure of the building, along with a longer time frame dependent on school longstanding enrollment and academic and community engagement, as well as challenges, and lagging academic available space for transitioning students. performance at one of the schools, has led to the district recommendation to This second phase of BuildBPS is a close both the Urban Science Academy citywide process that attends to the and West Roxbury Academy at the end interdependence of our schools. The of June 2019. BPS is working with needs of all students across the district, both school communities to conduct and particularly those most at risk, BACKGROUND AND GOALS BACKGROUND the transition in a way that prioritizes must be balanced with the aspirations — students served in substantially separate of any individual school community or special education programs and neighborhood. The proposed plan will maximizes supports for all students. result in