Boston Officials and Experts Outline Education Priorities for Coming Year

Boston Public Schools officials confirmed this week that they will add 12 new STEM labs across district middle schools starting in September, drawing on partnerships with local universities to train teachers in biotech applications.

The timing aligns with final budget approvals and projections showing continued enrollment pressure from new housing units completed in the past 18 months. Families moving into those buildings are expected to increase demand for seats in neighborhoods already served by older facilities with limited lab space.

Local Program Details

One cluster of labs will open at the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury and another at the Mildred Avenue K-8 School in Mattapan, where district staff said equipment purchases total $1.8 million. A separate initiative will place biotech modules inside after-school programs at community centers on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain and at the Dorchester Boys & Girls Club site on Geneva Avenue. Officials noted these locations were chosen because both neighborhoods saw more than 400 new housing units permitted last fiscal year.

University researchers consulted on the curriculum said the modules will cover basic gene sequencing techniques using equipment already standard at nearby biotech firms along the Seaport corridor. The same experts warned that without sustained state aid, the district could face a $14 million shortfall in supplies by mid-2027.

Next Steps for Families

Registration for the after-school modules opens July 20 through the district portal, with priority given to students whose schools feed into the new lab sites. Transportation vouchers covering MBTA fares will be available for participants living more than one mile from the centers. District communications staff said updated schedules and supply lists will be posted on the Boston Public Schools website by the end of the month.