Lewis Berk, a 49-year-old Coolidge Corner resident, never considered himself an athlete, nor a fundraiser. In 2022, he decided to become both. Berk, whose mother battled cancer throughout his childhood and died of the disease when he was 17, signed up for a 186-mile bike ride and fundraiser for cancer research called the Pan-Mass Challenge.… Continue reading Dozens of Brookline riders get ready to take on the Pan-Mass Challenge
Author: Vivi Smilgius
School Committee appoints interim deputy superintendent of teaching and learning
The School Committee has appointed Robin Benoit, a science teacher and middle school administrator, to serve as the district’s interim deputy superintendent of teaching and learning. Benoit, who most recently worked as a middle school principal in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District in central Massachusetts, will succeed Jodi Fortuna, who came to Brookline in 2023.… Continue reading School Committee appoints interim deputy superintendent of teaching and learning
Restaurant updates: A Colombian steakhouse is coming to Washington Square, Brookline Lunch will keep the Busy Bee name, and two new Jimmy John’s
A Colombian steakhouse, a “Jimmy Dunks” and a popular Cambridge restaurant are coming to various locations on Beacon Street, according to a recent meeting of the town’s licensing panel. Capricho Colombian Steakhouse will take the place of the popular French restaurant La Voile, which shuttered at the end of its 10-year lease in April. Located… Continue reading Restaurant updates: A Colombian steakhouse is coming to Washington Square, Brookline Lunch will keep the Busy Bee name, and two new Jimmy John’s
Student, teacher burned in summer school chemistry class fire at BHS
A Brookline High School student and teacher were burned when a fire broke out on July 3 during a chemistry experiment in a summer school class, according to Brookline and state fire authorities. The student, a 15-year-old, was treated at the scene by Brookline firefighters and taken to Boston Children’s Hospital for first- and second-degree… Continue reading Student, teacher burned in summer school chemistry class fire at BHS
In Brookline, 23% of students identify as Asian. Just 6% of their teachers do. The gap poses challenges for both.
For Ashley Eng, an Asian American student who graduated from Brookline High School in 2019, interacting with teachers who didn’t share her background was not always easy. In math class, she said, “I would see my teacher stopping at students’ desks to ask if they need help, but not really Asian students because of the… Continue reading In Brookline, 23% of students identify as Asian. Just 6% of their teachers do. The gap poses challenges for both.
Looking back: In the 1980s, a quirky, award-winning animation studio operated out of a trolley barn in Brookline
The home garages of Silicon Valley are known as the birthplaces of tech giants Apple and Microsoft, but on the other side of the country, in Brookline Village, a popular animation studio also began operating out of a garage. Olive Jar Animation was established in 1984 by Bill Jarcho and Mark D’Oliveira, two Emerson College graduates… Continue reading Looking back: In the 1980s, a quirky, award-winning animation studio operated out of a trolley barn in Brookline
Colorful games designed by students brighten up asphalt at the Old Lincoln School
A 3,600-square-foot mosaic of blue, green and purple has cemented itself in the asphalt space near the Old Lincoln School, the temporary home for the youngest Pierce School students. As part of a monthslong effort to liven up a drab blacktop, each class of students designed its own game to be played on a single… Continue reading Colorful games designed by students brighten up asphalt at the Old Lincoln School
Severe bedbug infestation spreads through Coolidge Corner condo building
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information from the Select Board meeting on Tuesday, June 24. A severe bedbug infestation in a condominium complex near Coolidge Corner has been festering for weeks, leaving residents frustrated and alarmed at the situation, and at the slow process of fixing the problem through the health… Continue reading Severe bedbug infestation spreads through Coolidge Corner condo building
New parent group aims to reduce kids’ screen time, hold off on smartphones
A growing group of parents in Brookline are teaming up to try something new to keep their kids off screens. With mounting evidence surrounding the negative impacts of smartphones and social media, particularly on the developing brains of children and teens, groups and coalitions across the country have pledged to delay introducing children to smartphones… Continue reading New parent group aims to reduce kids’ screen time, hold off on smartphones
School Committee hires Bella Wong, Brookline native who led three other school districts, as interim superintendent
The School Committee unanimously voted to appoint Bella Wong, a former science teacher who most recently served as interim superintendent of Natick Public Schools, to serve as interim superintendent for the Public Schools of Brookline during the 2025-26 school year. Wong has 16 years of superintendent experience across the Wellesley Public Schools, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School… Continue reading School Committee hires Bella Wong, Brookline native who led three other school districts, as interim superintendent
Budget cuts force Brookline Education Foundation to rethink mission as teachers lose training funds
Teachers in Brookline will receive significantly less funding next school year for non-mandatory professional development, leading a Brookline nonprofit that raises private funds for educators and administrators to re-evaluate the grants it provides. The Brookline Education Foundation was founded in 1981 and has allocated more than $6 million around the district since then, for initiatives… Continue reading Budget cuts force Brookline Education Foundation to rethink mission as teachers lose training funds
Four finalists chosen for interim superintendent position
The screening committee tasked with appointing an interim superintendent for the Public Schools of Brookline has selected four candidates as finalists, and the School Committee will interview each candidate publicly next week. The screening committee privately interviewed six candidates between June 3 and 11, and aims to finalize a contract for the interim superintendent by… Continue reading Four finalists chosen for interim superintendent position
Longtime School Committee member’s exit marks new chapter for Brookline schools
Helen Charlupski, long-time School Committee member known for pioneering early education and playing a role in nearly every major school renovation in Brookline since the 1990s, ended a 33-year tenure when she was not re-elected in May. In an interview with Brookline.News, Charlupski said she feels “really pleased” with what she accomplished during her decades… Continue reading Longtime School Committee member’s exit marks new chapter for Brookline schools
Search for interim superintendent moving forward amid disagreement over process, racial equity
The School Committee’s effort to find a short-term replacement for resigning superintendent Linus Guillory is underway, moving quickly but marked with tension and disagreement over the search process and how to take into account racial equity when hiring district leaders. A 22-person Interim Superintendent Preliminary Screening Committee is tasked with hiring an interim superintendent for… Continue reading Search for interim superintendent moving forward amid disagreement over process, racial equity
Student groups, teachers, parents ring in Pride month
Dozens of students, educators and parents clad in rainbow colors held signs and waved flags while marching from Brookline High School to the Brookline Teen Center on May 30, celebrating the start of Pride Month. Over the crowd’s chants and cheers, several drivers along the route honked in support of the group. Amid the Trump… Continue reading Student groups, teachers, parents ring in Pride month
New mural springs up near Driscoll School as part of town art program
A new vibrant cartoon mural across from the Driscoll School is one of 10 pieces of art springing up on walls around brookline. The mural by artist Kenji Chai, sprawled across the side of Stoked Pizza Company on Beacon Street, is part of the Murals Around Town initiative orchestrated by Brookline Art Makes Community and… Continue reading New mural springs up near Driscoll School as part of town art program
School Committee rejects six-figure gift that would have revived equity office
Brookline’s School Committee on Thursday declined a $188,455 gift that would have partially reinstated the district’s equity office, which was eliminated in March to help close a budget gap for fiscal year 2026. The money, which was raised by a coalition of Brookline groups over the past two months, would have funded one assistant director… Continue reading School Committee rejects six-figure gift that would have revived equity office
Leslie Epstein, author, professor and longtime Brookline resident, dies at 87
Leslie Epstein, an author and professor of creative writing at Boston University who lived in Brookline since the 1970s, died on May 18 of complications from a stroke he suffered while undergoing heart surgery. He was 87. He leaves behind his wife, Ilene, his brother, Ricky, his three children, Paul, Theo, and Anya, and six… Continue reading Leslie Epstein, author, professor and longtime Brookline resident, dies at 87
After debate, libraries will restore Pride and BLM flags in June
After a tense debate and a public comment campaign, Brookline’s Board of Library Trustees authorized the town’s libraries to display Pride and Black Lives Matter flags in June. Pride, Black Lives Matter, and other flags — Stop Asian Hate flags and flags condemning antisemitism — were displayed outside the library’s three branches for years until May 2023,… Continue reading After debate, libraries will restore Pride and BLM flags in June
Superintendent’s departure leaves big questions unanswered for Brookline’s schools
Editor’s note: This story was published before the release of an outside auditor’s review of financial management in the Public Schools of Brookline. Read more about that here. Another superintendent is leaving Brookline, and the community is torn about why. Linus Guillory, who made history as Brookline’s first Black superintendent, announced in April that he… Continue reading Superintendent’s departure leaves big questions unanswered for Brookline’s schools