City officials halt plans for new O’Bryant School in Boston ‘indefinitely’

City officials have halted plans for the new John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science ‘indefinitely,’ Mayor Michelle Wu said in a letter to the school community.

In her letter sent Tuesday, Wu said the decision came after officials spent the last few months “diligently exploring alternative sites for the O’Bryant school building, in addition to the proposed West Roxbury site.”

“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 said. “With a lack of consensus around moving the O’Bryant School to the West Roxbury Educational Complex, we are halting those plans indefinitely.”

Officials shared preliminary proposals in June 2023, and received feedback and ideas from students, staff, families, alumni, and partners, Wu said.

“Bringing all of our BPS facilities up to the standards that our students and educators deserve is one of the greatest challenges impacting our city,” Wu said. “Our school district includes more than 100 buildings that need significant repairs—many of which will require rebuilding from the ground up. This is the result of decades of underinvestment and will take years to remedy, but we are moving urgently to identify and prioritize needed investments every year.”

There are 10 Boston Public Schools capital projects already underway—as many as were built in the last 40 years, combined, Wu said.

The mayor said plans will move forward for Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, the BCLA-McCormack 7-12 School, Mel King Academy, and a new Shaw-Taylor Elementary School, in addition to other BPS projects under construction.

“Planning for a new Madison Park is in the early stages, and we will continue a robust community design process, in accordance with the decision to keep the O’Bryant School at its current location throughout construction,” Wu said. “We have heard a very strong foundation of support for the Madison Park renovation project and look forward to seeing the long awaited improvements come to fruition.”

In December 2023, city officials released the first major report of the BPS long-term facilities plan as mandated by the state. Wu said community workshops are underway with families and educators on the matter.

“Going forward, the O’Bryant School and future use of the West Roxbury Educational Complex will be included in those larger discussions—with the same consideration, analysis, and engagement as all the other BPS schools that require major facilities improvements or restructuring,” Wu said. “We are more determined than ever to ensure all our school buildings will support the range of student experiences Boston’s young people should have, and the process will continue at an urgent pace.”

A meeting for the O’Bryant School community will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13 on Zoom to address any questions from the public, Wu said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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