A Boston charter school has switched to remote learning due to safety concerns in the Dorchester neighborhood where it is located.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approved the move at the Neighborhood House Charter School middle school campus on Center Street.
It follows last Friday’s gunfire outside nearby Shawmut Station.
No one was injured in the afternoon gunfire, but the shooting has exacerbated safety concerns at the charter school.
The school dismissed high school students early on Monday and decided to close the school completely on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Police believe one of our students – who is not currently attending school in person – was the intended target,” said Executive Director Kate Scott. “We also became aware that individuals associated with the alleged attackers in last week’s incident were communicating with members of our community that they intended to return. The alleged attackers are not NHCS scholars.”
Scott told Boston 25 News that the school is working with the Concrete Protective Services security team, the Boston Police Department and the MBTA Transit Police.
The school has temporarily switched to remote learning for students in grades 8 to 11 until the end of next week.
Seniors have already completed their school year.
“We are grateful that DESE granted us this request and takes the safety and well-being of our community seriously,” said Scott. “We are working hard to keep the safety of our scientists, employees and families at the center of all decisions we make.”
Parents told Boston 25 News that students live in fear for their lives every day when they leave school because of drug deals and gang activity in the area.
Neighbors said suspicious activity stretching from Shawmut Station to Samoset Street, near the school’s rear entrance, is concerning.
“I don’t think the people who are causing the violence are thinking about the bigger picture,” said neighbor Bryan Martinez. “It’s a bunch of heads butting heads from neighborhood to neighborhood, and unfortunately it all ends up here.”
Police have not yet made any arrests in connection with last week’s gunfire at Shawmut Station.
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