A proposed school merger in East Boston could change how some of the neighborhood’s youngest students begin their education.

Boston Public Schools (BPS) is recommending that the East Boston Early Education Center close as a separate school in June 2028, with its programs becoming part of the adjacent Donald McKay K–8 School.

The plan would allow children to begin preschool and continue through eighth grade within the same school community.

For families who currently face a school transition after first grade, that could be a meaningful change.

The proposal is not yet approved. The Boston School Committee is expected to vote on it December 2, 2026.

What Would Change for Students?

The East Boston Early Education Center currently serves children from preschool through first grade.

Although the center and the McKay School occupy adjoining buildings, students leaving the Early Education Center are not automatically guaranteed a seat at McKay.

Under the proposed merger, the programs would operate together as one school.

Preschool classes would continue in the space currently used by the Early Education Center, while students would have a more direct pathway into the later elementary and middle school grades.

According to Boston Public Schools, affected K1 through first-grade students would receive guaranteed placement at McKay for the 2028–2029 school year while retaining the option to attend another school.

The district also proposes limiting new assignments to the Early Education Center during the 2027–2028 school year, with an exception for siblings.

These changes would depend on School Committee approval.

Why Is the District Proposing a Merger?

The recommendation comes as Boston Public Schools responds to declining enrollment.

BPS reports that enrollment at the East Boston Early Education Center has dropped 42% over three years, from 196 students in the 2023–2024 school year to 114 in 2026–2027.

The building is operating at approximately 63% of its intended capacity.

The district says elementary school enrollment across East Boston has also declined by more than 25% over the past decade.

Those changes have prompted questions about how many separate school facilities the neighborhood needs and how educational resources should be distributed.

BPS argues that combining the Early Education Center with McKay would make better use of existing space while improving continuity for young students.

It could also reduce the uncertainty families experience when children must move between schools at an early age.

A Merger Rather Than an Empty Building

Local officials have emphasized that the proposal would not simply eliminate the Early Education Center’s educational programs.

In an interview reported by the East Boston Times-Free Press, City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata described the plan as a merger or reconfiguration.

State Representative Adrian Madaro offered a similar explanation, indicating that the existing school space would remain in use as part of McKay.

That distinction matters to families who value early-childhood education in the neighborhood.

Still, the proposal raises practical questions about staffing, student transitions, classroom arrangements and how services would operate within the combined school.

Those details will be important as families evaluate the plan.

Families Have Opportunities to Speak Up

Boston Public Schools has scheduled two community meetings to discuss the proposal.

The first is a virtual meeting on Monday, November 9, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Access information is being provided through ParentSquare.

An in-person meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 135 Gove Street in East Boston.

BPS says interpretation and childcare will be available at the in-person meeting.

Parents and community members can review the official proposal and meeting information before participating.

The Early Education Center remains open, and the proposed merger would not take effect until 2028 if approved.

For East Boston families, the immediate priority is understanding the proposal, asking questions and making their views heard before the December decision.