Mayor Martin Walsh launched a master plan initiative for Boston Public Schools (BPS) facilities last month, which will include community engagement, in order to provide a framework for facilities investments and implement reform, according to a press release.
“The most important investment we can make is in our young people, and we do that by supporting their education and making sure they have the best opportunities and learning facilities available to them,” said Walsh, according to the press release. “This master plan will ensure that Boston’s schools are equipping students with the education, skills and facilities needed to exceed the standards of the 21st century learning.”
The master plan will take approximately 18 months to create, throughout which the Mayor’s Education Cabinet and BPS will work with the consultant, Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates, to develop a set of recommendations that will be submitted to Mayor Walsh, BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang and the Boston School Committee by the end of 2016.
“The world around us is changing at a staggering pace, and over the next 10 years, there will be many more innovations that will change the way we live and learn,” said Chang, according to the press release. “Learning and instruction are changing, too, as we prepare our students to thrive in this advancing world. That also means that our school buildings and classrooms need updating to respond to the accelerating rate of innovation and meet the demands of 21st century learning.”
The planning process will include demographics analysis, educational programming, financial planning and facility conditions assessments. The community engagement process will begin in November 2015.
For more information, visit bostonpublicschools.org/buildbps.