One by one, parents from the Paul Dever Elementary School on Columbia Point recounted this week how their lives were upended last week by an unexpected e-mail from Boston Public Schools (BPS) announcing the closure of their school next year.

“Shock.” “Out of the blue.” “Lightning bolt,” “Punch to the gut.”

These words and phrases were the constant refrain during a rally and protest staged on Tuesday afternoon in front of the school that drew about 45 people.

“Don’t close the Dever,” protesters shouted.

Those on hand interviewed by The Reporter said they were unaware of any discussion about closing the school before that message, which was sent from BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper. In fact, many had hoped that the school, which has been in state receivership for years, would soon emerge from that and be back in full control of the Boston district.

“I didn’t have any idea this would happen; it was a shock when I got the email,” said Cindy Maltez, a Harbor Point resident and mother of a 4th grader. “It’s so unfair to the families and the kids are so sad. I didn’t know they were thinking of closing it. We were even helping the school by selling chocolate and I don’t know what will happen with that. It’s a shock to families.”

Her son, Yahir, added: “I don’t think it’s fair what they did because the school is close to our home. Other schools are far away. The school is really good because of the supervisors and teachers. They help me a lot.”

BPS leaders met with members of the Dever School community on Monday evening, nearly a week after the closure announcement. A BPS spokesperson said they leaned heavily on internal data and pre-set criteria, with most of the engagement pre-announcement came citywide while crafting the Long-Term Facilities Plan (LTFP) and the High Quality Student Experience (HQSE) analysis. Those meetings were held in 2022, 2023, and the plan was approved in early 2024.

One of the meetings, for example, was an all-day Saturday event last February where concepts and data were discussed with attendees. BPS said there were more than 9,000 people engaged in surveys and community meetings for that plan. That process shaped the criteria, along with publicly available data, used for making decisions on closures. A racial-equity analysis was also completed internally before making the decisions.

A BPS spokesperson told The Reporter they have just brought this news to the school communities, including the Dever, and will now welcome their feedback and provide avenues for that to happen, including meetings this week and next.

A decision on the overall closure and reconfiguration recommendation is set for a School Committee vote on Jan. 22, but BPS said they are now focused on helping students and families find their next home.

Fourth grader Yahir Maltez with his mother, Cindy Maltez. The Harbor Point family is worried about having to put their son on a bus to unfamiliar parts of the neighborhood. Seth Daniel photo

“We know that last week’s announcement has caused a range of emotions in our school communities, including the Dever,” read a BPS statement released Tuesday. “In our initial conversations with these school communities we have valued hearing their feedback and what they love about their school. We remain committed to working with school communities to develop transition plans that honor that feedback and supports each individual student and their family, as well as our staff members in a successful transition from their current school to their next step whether that is graduation or a new school community.”

Parents and students at the rally on Tuesday said they intend to get the district to change its mind and reverse the closure decision.

Dever School first grader Crystal Esmerelda called for her school not to close during a rally on Tuesday in front of the Dever on Columbia Point. A large rally of students, parents, and community members called for the School Committee to reject the recommendation of closing the school after the 2025-26 school term.

“This is the only school I chose for my son because it’s the only one that has really helped him,” said Jean Matthews, who has a 3rd grade son there. “I don’t know where he’ll be going and he’s going to lose all his friends and the teachers that have helped him. It’s not fair. Where do we go now?”

In the same vein, second grader Zasha said, “If they close this school, I’m not sure where we will go to learn. I think they should change their minds.”

Orlando Perilla, Harbor Point Task Force chair, said the decision upends a promise made to keep a school on the Point.
“This is an insult to the community,” he said. “There was a guarantee to the residents of Harbor Point that they would always have a school and now that is no longer the case. The school was in receivership for a long time, and they keep saying that, but whose fault is that. We’ve been working to make it better and now it is better…Everyone is well aware there are issues with the buses, and we didn’t need buses for the Dever. Now they want to put our kids on buses. No wonder BPS is losing ground with kids and parents.”

Adnan Khushafa, a parent at the Dever and the high school next door —Ruth Batson Academy—was upset by the way the news was relayed.

“They didn’t discuss this issue with us before making the decision,” he said. “A decision like that has to be discussed with parents.”

The BPS statement sent to the Reporter offered no indication that the district will re-consider its recommendation to the School Committee.

“In the case of the Dever, alongside the rest of our impacted communities, we will be here to listen, support and commit to a successful transition,” read the statement.

In a press briefing last week addressing the school reconfiguration announcement, Supt. Mary Skipper alluded to the plans for reconstructing the 7-12 Ruth Batson Academy next door to the Dever School in the coming years. She noted it will be needed during construction, if the project is eventually funded by the state and the city.

“We believe we will need the Dever building as some swing space,” she said of the need to house Batson students during the anticipated buildout.

She also mentioned that many of the kids attending the Dever were thought to have other options closer to their homes.
“The Dever has a very fractured walk zone,” she told reporters. “We believe we are able to get students closer to home with the closure.”

Many at Tuesday’s rally said they planned to attend the School Committee meeting on Jan. 22.

A statement distributed from members of the Dever Parent Council called on the Committee to do a deeper dive and realize they are breaking up a community, not a school.

“When you close any school, families lose more than just and educational facility: they lose the cornerstone of the community,” read the statement. “Schools are sanctuaries where joy and learning thrive.”