As you may have heard, Dr. Carol Johnson, superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, has proposed moving Boston Latin Academy from its current location at 205 Townsend Street to the Hyde Park Education Complex. 

After much research done by parent, student, alumni, and faculty volunteers, the Boston Latin Academy community has several concerns about the impact that this move will have on our community.  These concerns include the size of the Hyde Park Education Complex and the distance students from neighborhoods such as Allston/Brighton, East Boston, Charlestown and others will have to travel to get to school. A list of these concerns, and data gathered by parents, students, alumni and faculty can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/205townsendaction

As Brighton resident and parent of Boston Latin Academy 9th grade student I am extremely concern about the impact this move will have on our students and Brighton/Allston community.

Brighton/Allston students should not be discouraged from attending Boston Latin Academy because it will take them about two hours hour to get to school.  According to the MBTA, a trip from the Allston/Brighton area would take a minimum of 92 minutes and require students to take 2 trains, 1 – 2 busses, and to walk 10 minutes from the bus stop to the school.

For example, from my home at 140 Kenrick St, Brighton it will take at least 113 minutes (almost 2 hours!!!).

The superintendent and the school committee suggest that changing Boston Latin Academy’s start and end time will be sufficient to help Latin Academy students to get to Hyde Park more easily.  They also suggest that using Forest Hills as a “hub” for getting students to and from school will assist students on their way to and from school. 

However, several years back when Boston Latin Academy proposed changing its starting and ending time to mirror Boston Latin School’s (7:45am - 2:15 pm), the Latin Academy community was told that this was an impossibility as the school system would incur over $1 million in transportation costs in order to change the schedule. In addition, at a time when the MBTA is facing financial hardships, it is unlikely that our community will be able to count on additional busses to and from the Hyde Park building.

Brighton/Allston community is already underrepresented in Boston Latin Academy. Moving school to the Hyde Park High building will make Boston Latin Academy practically inaccessible for Brighton/Allston residents.

Fortunately, there is time to act, but that window is closing.
BPS has scheduled Community Meeting at Brighton High School (25 Warren St. Brighton) on August 31 at 6:30 pm.

It is very important to attend this meeting and to show that we actually care.

See you there.

Brighton High School
25 Warren St. Brighton
August 31 at 6:30 pm