Boston Proposes Closing Charlestown High School

Families with students at the school should watch the Dec. 2 School Committee vote and the June 30, 2028 closure date.

Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Secondary Education

Boston Proposes Closing Charlestown High School

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Should Boston close schools with declining enrollment to save resources?

Boston Public Schools has proposed closing Charlestown High School, which saw enrollment fall from 820 students in 2023 to 559 in 2026. Under the proposal, the school would close on June 30, 2028, while eligible grade 11 and 12 students could still graduate as planned.

Why it matters

Enrollment at the school has declined sharply over the last three years, and the decline is expected to continue as smaller cohorts move up through the grades. For Boston families with children in the Charlestown area, the proposal raises questions about where students will attend school and when those transitions would happen.

Charlestown High School's enrollment fell from 820 students in 2023 to 559 in 2026, with 207 students in grade 12 compared to 48 in grade 7. The proposed closure date is June 30, 2028, and students in other grades would receive priority to enroll in other schools.

The players

Boston Public Schools

The district that operates Boston's public schools, responsible for proposing school consolidations and enrollment planning.

Boston School Committee

The governing body that will consider the closure proposal and oversees policy for Boston Public Schools.

Erin Murphy

A Boston City Councilor who filed for a hearing on the proposed closure of Charlestown High School.

Gabriela Coletta

A Boston City Councilor who joined Erin Murphy in filing for a hearing on the proposed closure of Charlestown High School.

The details

Boston Public Schools officials announced the proposal on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Under the plan, eligible grade 11 and 12 students would be allowed to graduate from Charlestown High as planned, while students in other grades would receive priority to enroll in other schools. City councilors Erin Murphy and Gabriela Coletta have filed for a hearing on the proposed closure. The School Committee is expected to take up the proposal on Dec. 2.

2023: Charlestown High enrollment was 820 students.
2026: Enrollment fell to 559 students.
Saturday, October 31, 2026: BPS announced the proposal to close the school.
Dec. 2, 2026: The School Committee is expected to consider the proposal.
June 30, 2028: Charlestown High would close if the proposal is approved.

The Home Front

The proposal follows a three-year drop in Charlestown High enrollment from 820 students in 2023 to 559 in 2026. It also fits a pattern in which the City and BPS plan to move another high school into the building as early as the 2028-2029 school year.

If your child attends Charlestown High or is planning to enroll in a Boston public high school, check whether the proposal affects their grade level and priority enrollment options. Watch for the School Committee's Dec. 2 meeting and contact Boston Public Schools directly to ask about placement and transition timelines.

The takeaway

Enrollment trends can change a school's future on a timeline that families can plan around, so keep track of the Dec. 2 School Committee date and the 2028 closure timeline. Ask BPS in writing how your child's grade level would be handled under any approved plan.

What happens next

The Boston School Committee is expected to consider the proposal on Dec. 2, 2026, and Charlestown High would close on June 30, 2028, if the proposal is approved.