Boston School Committee Approves $18.7M in Grants, Hears Outcry Over Three School Closures

BOSTON — November 19, 2025 — Boston School Committee receives closure proposals for three schools, approves $18.7 million in federal grants. At its November 19 meeting, the committee heard a lengthy facilities presentation from Chief of Capital Planning Dell Stanislaus recommending the closure of Another Course to College and Community Academy of Science and Health — both alternative high schools — and Lee Academy Pilot School, a pre-K through grade 3 elementary, effective the end of the 2026-2027 school year, with a vote scheduled for December 17. More than 60 speakers signed up to oppose the closures, with teachers, parents, and students describing the schools as irreplaceable communities for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. Superintendent Mary Skipper disclosed a mid-October enrollment of 46,824 students, down roughly 1,700 from the prior year, with Chief Financial Officer David Bloom estimating the per-pupil impact at approximately $27 million in reduced school-budget funding. The committee approved the grant package unanimously, led by a nearly $18.2 million IDEA entitlement grant serving approximately 12,000 students with disabilities.