Brookline Could Have a Ninth Grade 'Academy'

BROOKLINE, MA — And we have a winner. After at least a dozen meetings and a number of public hearings, the Brookline High School Building Committee voted to support creating a separate, ninth-grade academy at 111 Cypress Street the School Committee announced Thursday night.

The high school expansion project is part of an ongoing response to a growing number of students entering the Brookline School District. The School Committee members have repeatedly pointed at data that shows that the ballooning population of students at the elementary school level that's prompted renovations and work toward building a ninth school, will soon reach high school classrooms as the children continue through the system.

The Brookline High School Building Committee was a 17 member group made up of School District officials, parents and neighborhood representatives tasked with developing a strategy to expand the high school. They chose the option known as "Option 4D" at a vote on May 3. This choice calls for the taking of the property at 111 Cypress property by eminent domain or purchased. Once the parcel of land previously occupied by offices is acquired it will mean building an academy there, as well as construction on the existing campus.

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"This is clearly the best of the available options, and gives us a solid (albeit expensive) path forward to addressing overcrowding at BHS," wrote Town Meeting Member Brian Hochleutner on Facebook. Hochleutner was on the committee that studied acquisition of 111 Cypress.

Next up? The School Committee will ask Town Meeting to approve an estimated $1.85 million to fund a feasibility study and schematic design and a traffic study.

And so far, School Committee member Susan Wolf Ditkoff said, the committee is receiving lots of positive feedback around town on the choice. Though there is a bit of uncertainty about how using the space above the MBTA track will work, she said in a text before adding "[There's] a clear desire to give it a go and see if we could achieve it."

For more about all the other choices go to the Brookline Schools website here.