Officials: BuildBPS good if done correctly

Since announcing the closures of three Boston schools last week, the district has faced outcry from several communities. But city officials say the BuildBPS is still a good idea — if executed correctly.

City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George said the renovation plans for the district are necessary, but only if they make sure communities’ voices are heard and the students’ needs are put first.

“I am happy to be at this point because I have wanted for too long for the department to put forward their next steps,” said Essaibi George. “But they can improve on the time taken and put into making the notifications with West Roxbury, Urban Science Academy and McCormack. It needs to be our immediate priority to identify ways to keep students together as much as possible.

“As a district we should have had conversations of the future of the campuses that should have started years ago,” she said. “I was in that building when I first took office and it was in terrible shape then, and they just did Band-Aid investments on it.”

As part of BuildBPS, the district announced last week it is closing West Roxbury Academy and Urban Science Academy at the end of this school year and closing John W. McCormack Middle School next year, in addition to nearly nine more building renovations in the next decade.

Critics of the plan to disperse students across the district insist it is more beneficial to keep the students and their communities together.

“We have a structural problem on the campuses, but they also need to be thoughtful with how they move forward to treat the kids and families and be sensitive with their needs,” added Essaibi George.

Mayor Martin J. Walsh has faced a backlash over BuildBPS but said, “There's nothing more important in Boston than making sure each and every one of our 57,000 students in the Boston Public Schools receives an education that sets them up for success. BuildBPS is an opportunity to invest in school buildings that will deliver high-quality learning environments for our students for generations to come. In order to achieve our goals, we need to think big and work together to build a bright future for our schools."

Over the next several months, BPS is planning on hosting community meetings. Essaibi George also will be hosting her own town hall meetings.

“I am looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say,” she said.