Original Research by School Decision on Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School
Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School is a small alternative high school in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, designed for students who have had trouble succeeding in a traditional school setting. The school serves only grades nine through twelve, but its enrollment is heavily weighted toward seniors, which is typical for a school that many students enter as they return to earn credits they still need.
The school is a charter school, so it operates as its own district, separate from the Boston Public Schools system. The charter district itself is a single-school entity, and publicly reported information about recent district-level changes or strategic priorities was not available, so the focus here is on the school’s own makeup, setting, and what families should know.
Roxbury is a densely populated urban neighborhood that has long been the center of Black culture in Boston. It has a mix of historic brick row houses and the traditional triple-decker homes the city is known for. The population is diverse, including African American, Hispanic, and Asian families, as well as young professionals drawn by relatively more affordable property values and the neighborhood’s proximity to downtown. The main commercial corridors are Nubian Square, Crosstown, and Grove Hall, and the area has more parkland than any other Boston neighborhood, anchored by the large Franklin Park. Development has been steady, with new businesses, housing initiatives, and civic projects, including the conversion of the historic Ferdinand building into Boston Public Schools headquarters and a new police station.
The school itself sits at 20 Kearsarge Avenue in Roxbury. Its student body is overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic, making up nearly all of the roughly school-sized enrollment. The community is served by MBTA buses and the Silver Line at Nubian Square, making the school accessible by public transit.
Because this is an alternative school, the standard accountability metrics that many families look for are not applicable in the usual way. State assessment results are not reported for this school, which is common for alternative settings that serve a population of students who have faced significant academic or personal challenges and are often working to recover credits. Similarly, a four-year graduation rate is not reported. The comparison of the school against other districts in Suffolk County was not possible on standard measures like proficiency, graduation, or chronic absenteeism, because those figures were missing. A parent should understand that the absence of these numbers does not mean the school is failing its students; rather, it reflects the school’s mission to serve young people who have not found success in conventional settings and who may not be captured by standard metrics.
The school’s curriculum and program offerings were not provided in the data. That is a gap a family should investigate directly. Given the school’s role as a credit-recovery and alternative pathway, families will want to ask what courses are available, what diplomas or credentials are offered, what support services exist for students who are parents or work while in school, and what the school does to prepare graduates for either college or employment. The name “Day and Evening Academy” suggests a schedule designed for students who may need to work or have other responsibilities during the day.
No data was available on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, nor on the number of students who have individualized education plans or are English learners. These are standard indicators of a school’s student support needs, and their absence is another reason a family should press the school for details about what populations it serves and what resources are in place.
For a family considering this school, the essential question is fit. This is not a school for a student who is on a smooth traditional path to graduation. It is a school for a student who has fallen behind, dropped out, or needs a second chance in a smaller, more flexible environment. The setting is urban Roxbury, rich in civic and cultural amenities and well connected by transit. The school itself offers an alternative structure and a clear mission of re-engagement, but a family will need to dig into the specifics of programming, support for special populations, and post-graduation outcomes to know whether it is the right match for their student.
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