Excel High School closed its doors in June so the South Boston High School building could be refurbished for a new school community. Boston Public Schools (BPS) Chief of Capital Planning Delavern Stanislaus offered an update over the weekend, stating that Brighton’s Boston Green Academy (BGA) may be relocated to South Boston.

“As part of our Long-Term Facilities Plan and in response to community feedback, we are studying the possibility of bringing Boston Green Academy (BGA) to South Boston,” she said in a statement. “This is an exciting opportunity to welcome back a school with deep roots in the neighborhood while investing in the future of one of Boston’s most historic school buildings.”

BGA is an ‘in-district’ Horace Mann charter school that uses a sustainable educational model to prepare students for careers in the green sector. Founded in 2011, BGA was tasked by the City with restarting Odyssey High School in South Boston after Headmaster Rodney Peterson resigned following a domestic assault charge and allegations of persistent absenteeism.

In 2014, BGA moved to Brighton’s Taft Building and eventually became a full school for roughly 500 students grades 7-12 and Boston’s only public school focused on sustainability. 

The school offers Career Technical Education (CTE) courses in environmental science and mandatory internships for seniors, replacing fourth-term coursework with career-based skill-building with employers such as MetroWest Subaru, Franklin Park Zoo, and the City of Boston.

The school also offers a robust sports program and extracurriculars including the Boston Debate League, Charles River Rowing, and an on-campus musical theatre program. Earlier this year, BGA 8th grade civics students won the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Civic Expression in the iCivics  “We Declare! Challenge.”

Stanislaus and the Capital Planning team have met with the community twice in the past year. The meetings, often contentious, revealed that South Boston residents are looking for a school with strong academics, engaging extracurricular opportunities, and pathways to prepare students for what comes next, Stanislaus said.

Over the coming years, she said BPS will work closely with the community to shape an educational vision and building design for South Boston High School, ahead of a tentative opening for the 2028-2029 school year.

In the Fall, another community meeting will be held with BGA Principal Matt Holzer and other members of the BGA community to learn more about the vision for a South Boston campus.