These Boston schools are closing Friday for the parade

As the NBA champion Celtics get ready to parade through the city perched on Boston’s iconic duck boats, school officials say they are working to minimize the impact on students and their families. 

The last day for Boston Public Schools students is scheduled to be a half day on Friday. But Superintendent Mary Skipper and her leadership team have made the call to close four schools on that day, pushing the last day of classes at those buildings up to Thursday. 

Snowden International High School, Josiah Quincy Upper School, Josiah Quincy Elementary School, and the Eliot School will all be closed Friday, Skipper said in a letter to BPS families. All four will be directly impacted by the street closures and increased pedestrian traffic along the parade route. School buses would not be able to get to them, and students who walk, use the MBTA, or are typically picked up would face a variety of challenges. 

BPS staff will still be able to access the closed schools on Friday if they need to. 

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

Skipper told families to expect “significant” drop-off delays Friday afternoon.

“This is going to be a very difficult situation to navigate given the anticipated crowds, increased traffic, and detours. As a reminder, previous championship parades and the Presidential visit last fall caused multiple hour delays on some bus routes. We expect to experience similar impacts during drop-off on Friday afternoon. The scheduled half day presents a unique challenge for this parade, given most schools will be dismissing during the parade,” she wrote. 

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. 

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. Skipper recommended that students dress in light clothing and carry refillable water bottles.

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