Three elementary schools to close as the district reorganises grades

What happened

On July 15, 2026 the school committee voted 5-0 to reorganise every grade below high school. Kevin K. Coleman, Globe Park and Bernon Heights elementary schools will close. Pothier and the new George T. Nasuti Elementary School become pre-kindergarten to grade 4 schools, and Harris and Savoie will serve kindergarten to grade 4. Hamlet Middle School becomes an upper elementary school for grades 5 and 6, run on an elementary model, and Villa Nova Middle School takes grades 7 and 8. The high school is unchanged. The changes follow the opening of the new Nasuti school and take effect for 2027-28.

Why it matters to families

Almost every family below high school will have a different building, a different set of classmates and, for many, a different bus. The district said families will get the details, including new start and end times, early in 2027. Officials also said the state funded the new school on the condition that three buildings close, with a 93 percent reimbursement rate.

The evidence

The approved July 15, 2026 minutes record the unanimous vote on the grade reconfiguration, naming Coleman, Globe Park and Bernon Heights as the schools that will close and setting out the pre-K-4, 5-6 and 7-8 structure. The June 24, 2026 minutes record the chair's statement that the district could either build a new school and close three buildings at a 93 percent reimbursement rate or receive no reimbursement.

The source