人生一定要有的八個朋友：
推手(Builder)、
支柱(Champion)、
同好(Collaborator)、
夥伴(Companion)、
中介(Connector)、
開心果(Energizer)、
開路者(Mind Opener)、
導師(Navigator)。
chutze@bostonorange.com
*******************
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Healey-Driscoll Administration Seeks Innovative Ideas to Strengthen Student and Educator Mental Health
Administration launches RFI to advance statewide birth-through-higher education
mental health framework
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced it is looking for innovative ideas from educators, providers and community partners on how to strengthen mental health supports for students across Massachusetts, from birth through higher education.
The Executive Office of Education (EOE) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to help shape a comprehensive, statewide framework for mental and behavioral health, including ideas for projects, programs and grants. This effort will inform what investments are needed to shift how the state’s schools and places of learning partner across the community to incorporate mental health and wellness into everyday practice.
The administration is currently developing a framework that will guide a coordinated statewide strategy to strengthen mental health supports in Massachusetts, improving alignment among early education providers, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, families and community-based service systems. In collaboration with Health and Human Service agencies and other key stakeholders, EOE and its agencies will use this framework to identify, guide, and align collective efforts to better understand and address mental and behavioral health wellness needs among all students, from infants to adult learners, using common language, strategies, and metrics.
“This is an opportunity for practitioners, community organizations, researchers and educators to help shape the future of student mental health in Massachusetts,” said Education Secretary Stephen Zrike. “We are looking for bold, thoughtful ideas that are grounded in evidence, centered in equity, and built to last.”
The administration is interested in high-impact ideas that meet one or more of the following criteria:
·Expands, scales, or replicates a successful existing education-based program with developed metrics and measurable impact on mental health and wellbeing
·Uses evidence-based practices to improve mental health at a particular developmental stage
·Develops infrastructure for sustainability of mental health supports, including coaching and support for systems navigation and success planning
·Supports the development of metrics in each of the educational settings
·Deploys innovative tools or approaches including “proof of concept” projects for promising practices or technology to break down silos and integrate services
“Supporting mental and behavioral health from the earliest years is essential to helping every learner thrive,” said Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw. “We know that strong early foundations are critical, and we’re proud to be part of this statewide effort to align partners and systems. By working together and inviting new ideas, we can build a more connected, responsive approach that supports children, families, and educators across Massachusetts.”
“This administration is committed to supporting the mental health of students of all ages,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “Developing a statewide framework for mental and behavioral health will allow us to better align and integrate supports throughout students' educational journey.”
“Strong mental health support should be a throughline in a student’s educational journey, and I’m grateful that my colleagues in the administration are seeking a strong partner to make that a reality,” said Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega. “I look forward to the Commonwealth establishing a cohesive approach that will support students’ mental health needs not only when they arrive at college, but well before.”
Governor Healey’s fiscal year 2027 budget invests $17 million in education funding to support student mental and social-emotional health, addressing the youth mental health crisis and ensuring students have the behavioral health care they need to balance their mental health and education. Key investments include $6 million to continue the development and implementation of a statewide birth-through-higher-education mental and behavioral health framework. In addition, the budget includes $5 million to maintain EEC’s Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation services, $2.9 million to fundDESE’s Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health Grantand $648,949 to maintain Safe and Supportive Schools.
Interested vendors can find the RFI on COMMBUYS. This RFI will inform future procurements, pending funding.
Second-year report shows accelerating results across emissions, waste diversion, and community impact, powered by multiyear partnership with energy technology partner Schneider Electric
BOSTON - The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today released its 2025 Sustainability Report, showing accelerating progress toward a 42% emissions reduction target, waste diversion across events, and $50.4 million raised for 172 nonprofit organizations through the Official Charity Program.
Building on the B.A.A.’s inaugural sustainability report, the 2025 edition details how the organization and its Official Sustainability Partner, Schneider Electric, are embedding measurable sustainability practices into race operations, emissions reduction planning, and year-round community programming.
“Sustainability at the B.A.A. is about people, from our athletes, volunteers and staff to the communities we serve,” said Jack Fleming, President and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. “This year’s progress reflects the collective effort behind our events, and we’re grateful for everyone who has helped us and continues to help us build a more welcoming, responsible and community-focused running environment.”
Key highlights from the 2025 report include:
Advancing toward the B.A.A.’s 42% emissions reduction target, supported by upgraded HVAC systems and expanded use of battery-powered generators across events.
Donating approximately 20 tons of clothing, and collecting 7.7 tons of compostable cups across B.A.A. events.
Expanding inclusive race experiences, with 98% of runners reporting a sense of inclusion and more than 99% reporting overall satisfaction with their event experience.
Raising $50.4 million for 172 nonprofit organizations through the Official Charity Program, while engaging the Greater Boston community through 3,200+ youth participants and 10,200+ volunteers.
Enhancing organizational excellence with improved cybersecurity measures and updated leadership roles.
“As a proud member of the Boston community, Schneider Electric is inspired by what the B.A.A. is achieving,” said Aamir Paul, President of North America Operations for Schneider Electric. “From cutting emissions to diverting event waste, the B.A.A. is proving that world-class athletic events can also drive meaningful environmental and community impact. As an energy technology leader deeply rooted in Greater Boston, we are proud to support that work as the B.A.A.’s Official Sustainability Partner.”
Schneider Electric is the largest clean energy company in Massachusetts, and its commitment to the Boston region spans more than 130 years. With its North American headquarters in Boston and ongoing partnerships with local institutions, Schneider Electric is a vital part of the community’s efforts to lead the charge toward a more sustainable future. The company employs more than 2,200 team members in New England, with facilities in Boston, Foxborough, and Andover. Schneider Electric’s community and academic partnerships include programs with Boston University, Franklin Cummings Tech, Jimmy Fund Walk for Dana-Farber, and Essex County Habitat for Humanity. Schneider Electric was named the world’s most sustainable company by TIME Magazine for two consecutive years.
在600多家參與計劃機構中，亞裔組織有波士頓的包氏文藝中心 (Pao Arts Center)，波士頓華埠社區中心(BCNC)，亞裔劇作家集體 (Asian American Playwrights Collective)，大波士頓中華文化協會 (GBCCA)。
Card to Culture Program Surpasses 600 Participating Organizations, Delivering over 3 Million Admissions
BOSTON – Mass Cultural Council today announces that the Card to Culture program has reached two major milestones, with more than 600 participating cultural organizations that have provided more than 3 million free or steeply discounted admissions in total.
“The Card to Culture program is about ensuring that everyone in Massachusetts has the same opportunity to create, experience culture, and be part of a community,” said David T. Slatery, Acting Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council. “Mass Cultural Council is proud of this program and is grateful to the cultural organizations that participate and share in our vision for access.”
As the Commonwealth’s independent state arts agency, Mass Cultural Council is charged with bolstering the cultural sector, thereby advancing economic vitality, supporting transformational change, and celebrating, preserving, and inspiring creativity across all Massachusetts communities.
“More than ever, our mission at the Department of Transitional Assistance is to help children be fed in both body and soul,” said DTA Commissioner Michael Cole. “Card to Culture brings that mission to life by ensuring that access to arts and culture is not a privilege, but a shared opportunity. These experiences can inspire, build confidence, and open doors that might otherwise remain out of reach for low-income children. Beyond putting food on the table, we are helping to expand what is possible. I am grateful for this partnership and excited to see its continued growth.”
“We continue to be grateful for our ongoing work with Mass Cultural Council to offer Card to Culture access to WIC participants,” said Department of Public Health Nutrition Division Director Rachel Colchamiro. “Participants tell us that they truly value this component of their WIC benefits. We’re thrilled to partner with Mass Cultural Council to make the Commonwealth’s amazing cultural resources accessible and affordable, and maybe even support families to explore something new.”
"The Health Connector works every day to promote the wellbeing of the Massachusetts public through access to health coverage and health care. But we know a healthy life is about more than health insurance. It’s also about engaging fully in community and connecting to the diverse and life-enriching cultural experiences available here in the Commonwealth” said Audrey Morse Gasteier, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. "Having 600 institutions participating in Card to Culture means our 278,000 ConnectorCare enrollees have improved access to art and culture where they live, enriching their lives. We are proud of our Card to Culture partnership with Mass Cultural Council and we encourage all ConnectorCare enrollees to take advantage of reduced barriers to these cultural opportunities."
In its 9 years of operation, the Card to Culture program has steadily expanded its reach, both in the number of participating organizations and the breadth of communities served. The program continues to grow as more cultural organizations recognize the importance of accessibility and inclusion.
“It’s an honor to celebrate Mass Cultural Council and the 600 cultural institutions who have the vision and determination to make art, culture, learning, and discovery an integral part of everyone’s life, regardless of their economic circumstances,” said Carole Charnow, President and CEO, Boston Children’s Museum. “At a time when there is growing inequality, and many families are struggling to afford basic living expenses, the Card to Culture program gives individuals and their families this wonderful gift. They can treat their child to a play at their local theatre, or visit an extraordinary museum, zoom, aquarium, or historic site, or immerse themselves in a magnificent garden in glorious spring bloom. They can explore, learn, grow, and be inspired, and experience all the cultural riches that our wonderful state has to offer.”
A full list of participating organizations is available online.
Healey-Driscoll Administration Celebrates GE Aerospace’s $42 Million Investment in Massachusetts Defense Manufacturing
LYNN – The Healey-Driscoll Administration highlighted GE Aerospace’s $42 million investment in its Lynn manufacturing facility, which is strengthening Massachusetts’ defense industry, supporting local jobs and advancing the state’s leadership in advanced manufacturing.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley, Economic Development Undersecretary Zenobia Moochhala, and CEO of Mass Tech Collaborative Carolyn Kirk toured GE Aerospace’s facility in Lynn to mark the investment, which will upgrade machinery, expand test capacity, and modernize operations. The project is part of GE Aerospace’s broader $1 billion investment to expand manufacturing across the United States during 2026.
"Massachusetts' defense sector plays a critical role in our national security and our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and generating billions in economic impact,” said Governor Maura Healey. "That’s why we launched our Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD) Initiative, to bring together advanced manufacturing, applied research and emerging technologies in a unified strategy. GE Aerospace’s investment strengthens our manufacturing base, supports good-paying jobs, and ensures Massachusetts continues to lead in building in the technologies that keep our countries safe."
“Here in Massachusetts, we have the tools, science and talent to help safeguard the nation. We have the innovative and coordinated ecosystem to ensure we’re protecting our servicemen and women, while also creating a lot of great jobs in our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Through SHIELD, we are aligning advanced manufacturing, applied research and emerging technologies into one cohesive strategy. With partners like GE Aerospace, who are leaders in defense manufacturing, we’re building the next chapter of our legacy.”
Massachusetts plays a pivotal role in the nation’s defense ecosystem as the home of leading research institutions, advanced manufacturers, and a highly skilled workforce. The industry supports more than 130,000 jobs, contributes $15.2 billion in annual labor income, and generates $48.6 billion in annual economic output, underscoring the state’s critical role in national security and innovation.
This investment builds on Massachusetts’ continued momentum in advanced manufacturing and defense innovation, as the state attracts new investment, expands workforce pipelines, and strengthens partnerships between industry, government, and research institutions.
Governor Healey’s SHIELD initiative is designed to strengthen the state's defense leadership and accelerate the development of cutting-edge national security solutions. Through an Executive Order, Governor Healey directed state agencies to identify ways to increase support for defense sector initiatives across the administration, and established a SHIELD Working Group, led by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), to advise the Governor and Lieutenant Governor on advancing the defense sector in Massachusetts.
“GE Aerospace’s investment in Lynn is a strong signal that Massachusetts remains a leader in advanced manufacturing and defense innovation,” said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley. “We have the talent, infrastructure, and ecosystem that companies need to grow and compete. Through initiatives like SHIELD, we are continuing to invest in that foundation and make it easier for companies to build and scale here.”
Governor Healey has also invested in Massachusetts advanced manufacturing through the Mass Leads Act, which provides more than $300 million in capital authorization for new and existing programs at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to support advanced manufacturing, robotics, the Massachusetts TechHub Program, as well as for Small Business Technology Grants at MassVentures.
“At GE Aerospace, we are proud of the work that the Lynn team does every day to ensure the mission readiness and safe return of the warfighters,” said Paul Ferraro, Vice President & General Manager of Defense Engines & Services at GE Aerospace. “To meet their critical mission demands, we continue to invest in our people and our facilities to further strengthen our manufacturing capabilities to deliver to our customers. Today’s visit by the Lieutenant Governor was an opportunity to talk about our shared commitment to advance manufacturing in Massachusetts, and we look forward to working together on these key initiatives.”
GE Aerospace’s Lynn facility has a history that dates back more than 130 years and is recognized as one of the founding sites of the General Electric Company. The site is home to the first U.S. jet engine and continues to design, produce, assemble, and test military aircraft engines and components.
To further spur interest in manufacturing careers, the GE Foundation has funded $2.5 million in grants that established an Advanced Manufacturing Training Expansion Program (AMTEP) focused in Lynn and the North Shore. The program has helped address the skills gap in the region by supporting and coordinating advanced manufacturing training for 600 individuals since 2020 and connected them to full-time employment to meet the needs of manufacturing employers.
BOSTON - Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - Mayor Michelle Wu today filed her Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget and five-year 2027-2031 Capital Plan. The FY27 budget reflects a deliberate and disciplined approach to protecting the core services our residents and businesses rely on while positioning Boston for long-term fiscal stability. It is designed to ensure the City overcomes the current fiscal environment and emerges in a stronger position.
As cities and towns across the Commonwealth and the country face a challenging fiscal environment marked by rising costs, slowing revenue growth, and economic uncertainty, the City’s $4.9 billion FY27 operating budget and the $4.4 billion five-year Capital Plan balance fiscal restraint with continued investment in Boston’s future.
Despite these structural challenges, Boston enters this environment from a position of strength, supported by years of disciplined financial stewardship, strong reserves and more than a decade of AAA bond ratings. However, the City is also navigating these conditions within the constraints of the Commonwealth’s rigid limitations on municipal revenue generation and diversification, including Proposition 2 ½. Escalating fixed cost pressures, combined with contractual obligations and inflation, continue to significantly outpace the revenue growth allowed under Proposition 2 1⁄2.
The FY27 budget increases by only 2.1%, the lowest growth rate since FY10 and well below the current rate of inflation. City departmental appropriations will decrease by 1.3% year-over-year, after accounting for health care and other central account costs. Unlike many other Massachusetts cities and towns, this proposed budget does not seek an override for additional revenue beyond what is allowed by Proposition 2 ½.
“City government is where we find a way to get things done, and where we do what matters most,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This proposed budget funds city services for the highest quality of life, delivers significant savings, and protects Boston’s continued progress in tough economic times. I’m grateful to the City Council for their partnership, and we look forward to continued due diligence and collaboration over the next few months.”
“This budget addresses the challenges posed by the current fiscal environment with long-term stability in mind,” said Ashley Groffenberger, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Boston. “The City is focused on disciplined financial stewardship in an evolving, unpredictable economic climate. With our years of responsible budget management and strategic decisions, Boston is well-positioned to meet this moment from a secure position in the short and long-term while delivering on our core services and commitments to employees, residents, and families.”
Over the past four years, federal relief funding and city investments enabled the City to increase support for small businesses and nonprofit partners, fill vacant storefronts, expand cultural programming across our neighborhoods, and deliver critical projects across Boston communities. With tighter fiscal conditions and rising fixed costs, this year’s recommended operating budget significantly reduces or removes funding for many of these discretionary grant programs. The City has also sought to preserve other City programs that provide similar services or leveraged public-private partnerships to help bridge gaps in services. At the same time, strategic financial management has helped us avoid deeper, more disruptive cuts to essential services and operations while keeping us on track to meet our debt obligations and unfunded pension liability by 2028. By managing long-term pension and debt liabilities, the City will save $37.8 million compared to FY26.
“We know that, across Massachusetts, cities and towns are finding fiscal 2027 to be a particularly challenging year,” said MMA Executive Director and CEO Adam Chapdelaine. “Boston is by no means alone in facing unavoidable costs that are far outpacing inflation and revenue growth, and the reality of very limited options to address these costs and preserve the essential services that all residents and businesses rely on. This is a year of difficult decisions, and the mayor and her team are using every creative lever at their disposal to preserve core services.”
By protecting essential city services, funding core priorities and delivering significant savings, Boston will continue to build on our progress by meeting fixed and long-term financial obligations, delivering for residents, and remaining adaptable amidst a difficult fiscal environment.
To address key drivers of deficit in the prior fiscal year, this year’s FY27 recommended budget builds in the following cost containment strategies.
Health care costs
Rapidly rising health care costs continue to be a major challenge for the City. The City and the Public Employee Committee (PEC) recently reached an agreement to curb growing health care costs, generating an estimated $10.6 million in savings for the City and its employees through utilization management. In the next month, the administration will begin negotiations with all municipal unions on healthcare costs through the PEC, looking to set a new five-year health insurance plan that must take steps to address the unsustainable growth of costs that the City has faced. Even with these efforts, Health insurance costs for the City, Boston Public Schools (BPS), and Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) are projected to increase by $97.3 million this year, driven by a 20.3 percent rate hike for all non-Medicare health plans that far exceeds the average annual rise of $10.6 million over the past eight years.
Public Safety Overtime
Public safety overtime spending remains a significant long-term challenge. Over the past four years, the administration has implemented operational changes to reduce the number of overtime hours. The police overtime line item, for example, has increased with collective bargaining agreements adjusting wage per overtime hour, but the number of hours has decreased and continues to move in the right direction as new classes and management initiatives have begun to reduce the use of mandatory overtime to cover staffing shortages. The City will continue working to make public safety overtime spending more predictable and manageable while maintaining the safety of our neighborhoods.
Snow Removal
In five of the six fiscal years prior to FY25, the City underspent the budgeted snow removal line, resulting in surplus that accumulated in the general fund and contributed to the City's reserve balances. Historically significant snowfall in early 2026 resulted in a deficit in the snow removal budget line, which is an appropriate one-time cost to be addressed through an allocation from reserves accumulated over the last several years. As New England's weather patterns shift to less frequent but more intense snowstorms, this same pattern of uneven snow costs will likely persist. While this year's line item for snow removal represents level funding from the FY26 budget, not relying on additional use of reserves to balance the overall FY27 budget ensures that the City is able to maintain flexibility to utilize reserves in a future year to address extraordinary, unforeseen costs like those we experienced this winter. Additionally, the City will explore the possibility of creating a special snow stabilization fund to specifically address snow shortfalls in the future.
The FY27 recommended budget includes the following key priorities:
Housing Affordability and Stability
Our administration will continue to prioritize housing affordability and stability. This recommended budget maintains the City’s tools to preserve and strengthen stability and affordability across the city’s neighborhoods. Over the last four years, these investments by the City have helped build 6,210 new income-restricted units, the highest number of affordable housing units created during any comparable period in the last 25 years. Our Acquisition Opportunity Program (AOP) reached its goal of taking 1,000 units off the speculative market, years ahead of schedule. In FY27, the City will protect 100 families through AOP, stabilizing over 200 residents. While the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) will see an overall decrease in this budget, funding for key programs has been maintained, including homeownership assistance, supportive housing tenant stabilization, and housing vouchers. MOH will use federal and state funds, the Boston Acquisition Fund, and locally generated revenues from Housing Trust Fund, Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) and the Community Preservation Act (CPA) to continue to build and preserve affordable housing.
Youth Employment and Development
Summer youth employment remains a core focus of the administration’s efforts to strengthen Boston’s future. Over the past two summers, nearly 11,000 students and young people worked jobs - the most in Boston’s history. This budget maintains our guarantee that every BPS student who wants a paid summer job has access to one. To ensure this work remains secure, several programs previously managed within the Office of Youth Employment and Opportunity (OYEO) focused on youth development and career readiness have shifted to other cabinets and bolstered through partnerships with the State and private sector.
Public Realm and Quality of Life
The City will continue to build on progress made with excellent constituent services to improve quality of life and maintain and improve streets for Boston residents, families and visitors. Over the four past years, the City has resurfaced 105 miles of roadway, filled over 27,000 potholes and nearly doubled the City's network of bike lanes. The Streets Cabinet will see a modest budget increase in FY27 due to the cost of existing long-term contracts for essential services, such as managing the City's mobility infrastructure, collecting residential trash, and maintaining the cleanliness of our public ways. Planned efforts include roadway resurfacing, sidewalk and ramp upgrades, street reconstruction and neighborhood safety projects. Several major projects are currently underway with construction in progress on A Street, Congress Street, and Sleeper Street, which will feature new, accessible sidewalks, safer crosswalks, street-light upgrades, landscaping, and separated bike lanes. In Mattapan, reconstruction of Cummins Highway is underway and expected to be completed this summer. The City is continuing to also invest in Boston’s parks, recently cutting the ribbon on renovations at Harambee Park, Walsh Playground, and Codman Square Park and are nearing completion of improvements to Copley Square and Clifford Park.
Public Health and Safety
The City is working every day across city agencies and with community partners to maintain Boston’s position as the safest major city in the country. The FY27 budgets for the Boston Police Department, Boston Fire Department, and Emergency Medical Services includes funding for recruit classes that will replace staff loss from normal attrition. Although there were targeted reductions to civilian positions in these departments, the City will be able to maintain service levels across these critical agencies due to key investments over the last few years, including a capital investment of $3.3 million to upgrade the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, improving 911 call-takers' ability to quickly and securely receive and dispatch calls. To support continued progress on safety, Police, Fire and EMS will continue to utilize their cadet programs as steady pipelines to ensure departments are fully staffed and reflect residents of Boston.
The administration continues to take a public health-centered approach to addressing community violence with funding preserved or alternative response capacity, including programming with BEST clinicians and our partners at Youth Connect to address the underlying trauma, mental health issues, or family instability that often lead to police intervention. The Community Safety team will fully move from the Office of Human Services to the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) in FY27, reflecting the administration's continued focus to ensure residents and families are healthy and connected to services and supports.
Human Services
The City continues to maintain initiatives that engage residents and connect families to critical programming and resources across neighborhoods. The City’s Human Services budget maintains evening and weekend hours and programming at libraries and BCYF centers, as well as classes for adult English-language available at no cost to residents through the Boston Public Library. While Age Strong will see a decrease in FY27, the City secured a $1 million federal earmark for transportation services that will help older residents get around more easily across Boston. City funding that helps older residents access state and federal benefits is also maintained. Boston Veterans Services will continue to provide need-based financial aid to low-income veterans and their surviving spouses for food, shelter, clothing, medical reimbursements, and emergency aid for utilities and home repairs. The City is nearing completion of the new BCYF community center in Grove Hall and recently broke ground on a new Nazzaro Community Center in the North End. In Chinatown, the City recently broke ground on a project at 55 Hudson Street that will bring 110 affordable homes and a new permanent branch of the Boston Public Library to the neighborhood, turning a City-owned parking lot into a vital community anchor. The City continues to also plan for additional community facilities.
Education and School Facilities
Public education represents the largest operational departmental budget, with the FY27 Boston Public Schools budget maintaining our multi-year investments in the core academic priorities that improve student outcomes: inclusive education, bilingual programming, high-quality instructional materials, and expanded college and career pathways. The BPS FY27 appropriation of $1.7 billion reflects a year-over-year increase of 5.4 percent, or $88 million. After isolating the disproportionate impact of health care inflation, the underlying budget growth is 2.7 percent or $41 million. To continue these investments amid declining student enrollment and rising costs, BPS has made difficult decisions to align staffing levels with a smaller student body. In aligning staff with students, BPS is maintaining a ratio of 1 teacher for every 10 students and 1 paraprofessional for every 24 students. These are lower staff-to-student ratios than pre-pandemic, and equal to the staffing ratios in the FY26 budget. While these reductions in staff positions are difficult for school communities, they are essential to the responsible stewardship of public dollars.
To build on Boston Public Schools’ progress, the City has launched more school facility renovations and construction projects than at any time in the last 40 years, while expanding access to high-quality pre-K seats and early college access than ever before. Over the last year, we have cut the ribbon on major projects at the PJ Kennedy Elementary School in East Boston, the William E. Carter School in the South End, and the Sarah Roberts Elementary School in Roslindale. Through our partnership with the Massachusetts State Building Authority (MSBA), the City is moving forward with the Madison Park Technical Vocational High School project. This investment will deliver a nation-leading, wall-to-wall Career and Technical Education high school and hub of workforce development in the heart of Roxbury. We are also partnering with the MSBA on investments in the Ruth Batson Academy in Dorchester and the Shaw-Taylor Elementary School in Mattapan, which will begin design this year. At the same time, renovations are underway at the Lilla G. Frederick building in Grove Hall, which will reopen as a new elementary school this fall. Plans to renovate the auditorium and other interior spaces at Brighton High School are also in development.
Across the district, the City and BPS are accelerating state-of-good-repair improvements, upgrading bathrooms, roofs, windows, and doors; enhancing energy efficiency, and improving playgrounds. Next year, the City will complete the renovation of White Stadium, transforming it into a state-of-the-art athletic facility for BPS Athletics and a year-round, vibrant community hub for Franklin Park.
