Following criticism from teachers and students, Boston Public Schools is making changes to its initial plans for the shuttering of a Dorchester middle school as part of its larger goal to get rid of middle schools.
Under the original proposal presented last month, the McCormack would have closed its doors at the end of next school year. The building would have been torn down, and a new 7-12 school built in its place. That plan also called for former McCormack students to enroll in Excel High School in South Boston, which the state has identified as underperforming.
And, in a first for the district, the occupants of the new building on Columbia Point would have been selected through a bidding process.
But now, interim Superintendent Laura Perille told WBUR in an interview that the McCormack will no longer necessarily be coupled with Excel High School.