MAYOR WU, SUPERINTENDENT SKIPPER, AND TREASURER GOLDBERG CUT RIBBON ON WILLIAM E. CARTER SCHOOL

New school building now open for 2025-2026 school year, following $111.4 million investment

Photo courtesy of Boston City TV

Today, Mayor Michelle Wu joined Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper, State Treasurer and Receiver General Deb Goldberg, Massachusetts School Building Authority Chief Executive Officer Jim MacDonald, the City's Public Facilities Department, and community members at the official ribbon cutting of the newly constructed William E. Carter School.

The Carter School is a national model for high-quality education designed for students with significant disabilities and complex medical needs. With the new facility, the Carter School was able to expand its enrollment from 25 to 60 students, including the addition of an early childhood program. The $111.4 million construction project was funded through a partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which provided $30.5 million to the project through its Core Program.

The new facility, which opened for the start of the 2025-2026 school year, includes a zero-entry pool and half-court gymnasium for adapted physical education and therapy; dedicated spaces for music therapy, expressive arts, and literacy development; outdoor sensory areas and gardens that extend classrooms into nature; and a vocational facility that prepares transition-aged students with community-based job skills. With equity at its core, the Carter School serves as a national and global model for inclusive school design, demonstrating the impact of thoughtful, research-driven choices. The 85,600-square-foot school features sensory-centered design, including natural lighting strategies, acoustic buffering from nearby train noise, and carefully selected colors and textures to support recognition, communication, and growth. These features, paired with state-of-the-art therapy and learning spaces, ensure that the building itself becomes a tool for student engagement.

"We are beyond excited to welcome Carter students to this new, upgraded school building," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "Students thrive when they are supported with learning spaces that respond directly to their needs. I am thankful to Superintendent Skipper, our partners at the MSBA, City departments, and Carter community members for their collaboration as we work to create a space where every student can thrive."

"The Carter School is a one-of-a-kind educational facility that will set a new standard for inclusive, high-quality learning, with every aspect crafted to support the unique needs of our students with multiple disabilities," said Superintendent Mary Skipper."In collaboration with the City of Boston, Boston Public Schools has combined innovative programming with thoughtful, research-driven design to ensure we are delivering accessible and transformative learning experiences that remove barriers and empower our students to achieve their goals beyond the classroom."

"The Carter School's dedicated and skilled staff has always made an extraordinary difference in the lives of their students," said State Treasurer and Chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, Deborah B. Goldberg. "We are thrilled to have partnered with the City of Boston, ensuring that this amazing new building matches the talented staff in creating an environment of inclusive learning and growth for the kids and their families."

"The Carter School demonstrates how innovative construction can transform education," said Executive Director of the Public Facilities Department, Carleton Jones. "Every element was designed to meet the unique needs of Carter students, setting a global example of what's possible when we build schools around every learner."

"With the opening of the new Carter School, Mayor Wu and BPS have affirmed their commitment to Boston's students with disabilities," said Boston Disability Commissioner Kristen McCosh. "This one-of-a-kind, purpose-built school provides state of the art infrastructure, programming, and learning opportunities for disabled students with the most complex needs. The Carter School integrates specialized expertise and individualized instruction to ensure that every BPS student with a disability can thrive."

"Our new building is already showing what's possible when we center decisions and planning around our students with the highest needs and focus on their access to learning," saidMark O'Connor, Principal of the Carter School. "Every detail of its research-based design is helping our students engage more fully, opening the door to richer programming, and giving them more meaningful learning time each day. Because the design team ensured our team and community were part of the journey at every step, we now have a school that truly reflects our students' strengths, learning supports our team's expectations, and our community's limitless potential."

The Carter School project builds on Mayor Wu's work to ensure that Boston is a home for everyone. Additionally, the school project is on its way toward achieving LEED Gold certification, a sustainability certification that recognizes buildings designed and built to high standards of energy efficiency, environmental responsibility, and healthy indoor spaces. The new building was designed by Perkins&Will. LiRo-Hill served as the owner's project manager and Bond Building Construction served as the construction manager. Boston Public Schools Capital Planning Department and City of Boston Public Facilities Department also helped lead the project to completion.

• Published by: Mayor's Office