Excel High School has inhabited the South Boston High School building since 2003. On January 7, Superintendent Mary Skipper announced that Excel would be shut down by June 2026 for capital investments to bring an anchor high school back to the neighborhood.

As of April 10, a community meeting with the BPS Capital Planning Board confirmed that the closure of Excel will not be the end of South Boston High School. Instead, another BPS school (not an exam or charter school) will be relocated into the space, pending upgrades to better accommodate career and technical education (CTE) programs. Which school has yet to be selected but will be influenced by the school size and waiting list length.

This decision is part of a district-wide effort to match BPS size to enrollment. “Too many of our high schools are physically too small to support a robust secondary school experience,” said Delavern Stanislaus, Chief of Capital Planning for BPS. “Part of this work is moving to fewer, on average, larger schools with the capacity to hold upwards of 600 students.”

South Boston High School could, and historically has, enrolled upward of 1,200 students at various points. The 600 number was selected to combat BPS schools’ ‘crowded’ reputation, accommodate students with disabilities, and meet Teachers Union class-size requirements.

The Capital Planning Team is working with the Capital Budget and Facilities teams to determine the project’s scope of work and budget. Stanislaus added that the process will not be short but thorough. Though no design has been conceptualized at this time, Stanislaus called preserving the building’s architectural character a must.

Artifacts, including memorials, sports memorabilia, artwork, and records, will be preserved through the redevelopment process. What that preservation looks like will be determined by the scope of work. “If, for whatever reason, relocation of artifacts becomes necessary, we will work with all relevant city and BPS departments as well as the community to do so,” said Stanislaus.

Through Fall 2025, additional community meetings and events will be hosted to properly inform community members and engage with their concerns.

Excel will close at the end of the 25/26 school year with no new enrollments. Current Juniors and Seniors on track to graduate will receive their diplomas as usual. Underclassmen have the option to remain up until the closure and will receive priority in the BPS reassignment process.

Transfer students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or within Sheltered English Immersion will be directed to schools that can accommodate their needs. 

Current permanent faculty will work with BPS’s human resources department to be relocated to another school or pursue alternative employment.

The building will remain within the BPS property portfolio, meaning snow, pest, and waste removal will proceed as normal.

When the building reopens, admission will match the standard city-wide selection process for BPS High Schools, with no priority given to South Boston residents. Parents can select either their local high school or one with CTE programming that best matches their student’s goals.

Community members are asked to route questions, comments, and concerns to [email protected] rather than teachers or administrators. The entire meeting can be viewed here.