Local News

All Boston schools to close Friday for Celtics parade

Multiple street closures and massive parade crowds are prompting Boston schools to close entirely on Friday.

By Ross Cristantiello

June 20, 2024

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As the NBA champion Celtics get ready to parade through the city perched on Boston’s iconic duck boats, school officials decided to start summer vacation slightly early. 

The last day for Boston Public Schools students was scheduled to be a half day on Friday. But Superintendent Mary Skipper and her leadership team made the call to close all BPS schools Friday, making Thursday the final day of classes.  

“Every day, BPS transports 23,000 students across our City. Given the expected crowds, road closures and detours for the parade route, and our scheduled half day coinciding with the parade times, there is no safe and reliable way to transport our students, especially our youngest learners and special education students, from their schools to their drop off sites,” Skipper said in a statement after consulting with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Boston police, and the city’s Department of Transportation.

Earlier this week, Skipper announced that just Snowden International High School, Josiah Quincy Upper School, Josiah Quincy Elementary School, and the Eliot School would be closed. All four would have been directly impacted by the street closures and increased pedestrian traffic along the parade route.

On Thursday afternoon, officials announced that they were closing all schools Friday.

Traffic will likely be a nightmare, with multiple street closures planned and well over a million fans expected to show out for their team. 

“The increased traffic could mean students waiting for their bus hours after dismissal, being delayed on hot buses for hours without access to food and water or trying to commute home on the MBTA at the same time as the large anticipated crowds, posing major safety and operational concerns for our students and staff,” Skipper said.

Although the mid-week heat wave will have abated, temperatures are still expected to reach the low 80s. A thunderstorm is possible in the afternoon.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Causeway street near TD Garden. It will proceed down Staniford Street, turn onto Cambridge Street, pass City Hall Plaza, move to Tremont Street along Boston Common, and finally go down Boylston Street before ending near the Hynes Convention Center. Officials expect the parade to last about 90 minutes. 

Skipper urged families with questions to call 617-635-8873 or email [email protected].