What is Charlestown High School?
Charlestown High School (CHS) is an open-enrollment high school in Boston serving nearly 800 students from across the city. Located in the historic Charlestown neighborhood along the MBTA Orange Line, CHS provides a supportive and engaging learning environment for all students.
Academic Support
Students join a Small Learning Community (SLC)—Life Skills, Dream, Marathon, Unity, or RTS—where they work with a dedicated team of teachers and staff for at least two years. Each student also has an advisor who meets weekly and keeps families updated on progress. SLCs and advisories help build strong relationships, ensuring every student is known, supported, and celebrated.
College & Career Readiness
Our Pathways Program combines rigorous coursework, career exploration, and real-world learning to prepare students for high school, college, and future careers. Students can earn up to 30 college credits through Bunker Hill Community College, transferable to other institutions. After a 9th-grade exploratory course, students select a pathway in Business, Information Technology, or Health to focus their studies and career preparation.
Extracurricular Opportunities
CHS offers a wide range of sports, including Soccer, Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Basketball, Indoor Track, and Track & Field. Students can also join clubs such as Student Government, Theater, Dance, and After School Tutoring, with additional clubs and activities introduced at our Activities Fair in early fall.
Mission & Values: Belonging, Excellence, and Agency
At the heart of our mission is fostering belonging, creating classrooms and schools where students feel valued, recognized, and affirmed. We honor each student’s humanity, experiences, strengths, and joy, consistently communicating, “You matter.” We are committed to promoting excellence, ensuring that every student achieves academic proficiency by providing equitable support, resources, and high expectations so all students can meet rigorous standards. Finally, we prioritize cultivating agency, empowering students to engage critically with their learning, reflect on its significance, and take meaningful action through inquiry, self-expression, and active participation in their school and community.
Where is Charlestown High School located?
Charlestown High School (CHS) is located at 240 Medford Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, and welcomes students from across Boston. The school is accessible via the MBTA Orange Line: students can walk from Community College Station, or from Sullivan Square Station they can take the 93 bus, which stops directly across the street from the school. Visit MBTA.com to plan your route, and see official BPS transportation information here.
Phone: 617-635-9914
What is the application process and who can apply?
Charlestown High School (CHS) is an open-enrollment school, welcoming all students who live in Boston. There is no separate application, simply list CHS as your top choice on your Boston Public Schools High School Choice form.
For more details, visit the BPS Welcome Services High School page.
Can prospective families visit CHS?
Yes. Families are welcome to visit Charlestown High School during our scheduled preview days. Our next in-person preview day will be held on December 18th from 8:00-9:30 AM. In January, we will host a virtual preview day from 5:30-7:00 PM.
If you are interested or would like to learn more about preview days, please visit the BPS website here: Preview Day Information.
Families are also invited to join our Community Engagement Series, a 7-part workshop series where you can learn about CHS and be part of an inclusive planning process for our future! Our next session will be on Wednesday, December 10th at 5:45 PM at CHS.
If you are interested in CHS but these dates do not work for you, please contact our Family Liaison, Danitza Acevedo, at dacevedo@bostonpublicschools.org to explore additional options.
