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Reports: O’Bryant School will not be moving to West Roxbury
The city's most diverse exam school is currently in Roxbury. Wu's plan to move the school from Malcolm X Boulevard to majority-white West Roxbury has been met with backlash.
The John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, the city’s most diverse exam school, will not be moving to West Roxbury from Malcolm X Boulevard in Roxbury.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is expected to officially announce the cancellation of the plan Wednesday, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday night.
Wu said in a letter to community members that the city has been looking for alternative sites for O’Bryant to no avail.
“After analyzing many sites in Roxbury and other neighborhoods, we could not find an alternative location to accommodate the expansion and student experience that had been envisioned,” Wu wrote. “With a lack of consensus around moving the O’Bryant School to the West Roxbury Educational Complex, we are halting those plans indefinitely.”
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Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper announced an ambitious plan last summer to move the O’Bryant School to an empty education complex in West Roxbury. The move would allow Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, which is currently on the same campus as O’Bryant, to expand.
Wu said renovations to Madison Park school will continue as planned.
O’Bryant’s move to the West Roxbury Education Center would have created space for 400 more students. There are currently 1,500 students enrolled in grades seven through 12.
Wu’s announcement was supported by officials calling for better facilities for students. The complex — formerly West Roxbury High School — closed in 2019 due to roof, window, and maintenance issues. It now stands vacant but is in good structural condition, a 2023 feasibility study showed.
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But, community members quickly criticized the move. Two teachers wrote a letter saying moving the diverse school would change O’Bryant’s demographics. About two-thirds of the student population identify as Black or Hispanic.
West Roxbury — a majority-white neighborhood — is also the least T-accessible neighborhood in the city, the teachers wrote.
The Boston City Council opposes the move, saying the plan is not thought-out and lacked transparency with parents, teachers, and community members.
“Boston Public Schools should also conduct a district-wide facilities plan to ensure school building decisions are based on the community needs by assessing the racial demographics of the area in order to support an inclusive and welcoming environment that is in the best interest of the students, parents and educators,” their resolution said.
Wu also announced an O’Bryant community meeting on March 13 on Zoom. You can read her full letter to families here.
This story has been updated to reflect additional information from city officials.
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