Most of the schools the School Committee voted to shut could wind up being reused for new, expanded BPS programs

Some of the ten public-school buildings slated for closing could be re-used for existing school programs that have run out of room or are now in leased space, Deputy School Superintendent Michael Goar told a City Council committee this morning. And others, he said, could be used for new charter-like and "innovation" schools BPS hopes to create, he said.

Even with all the potential expansion, however, he told the committee that BPS still expects to reduce the total number of empty seats systemwide from 5,000 to 2,500 with the closings and school mergers scheduled for this fall, Goar said.

The news that BPS would seek to expand into the school buildings ordered shut by the School Committee in December seemed to disappoint City Councilor Matt O'Malley (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain), who wondered whether expanding programs into the empty space would cut into the money BPS said it would save by closing the schools.

"It seems like the cost savings may be inflated," he said.

Goar said the savings of closing schools is more in the reduction in employees than buildings. O'Malley responded, however, that expanding programs would require hiring new workers.

Goar said that some of the soon-to-be-shuttered space will be needed to temporarily house students from the Quincy Upper School in Chinatown and the Dearborn Middle School in Roxbury, which are slated for extensive renovations that could take up to two years. Hyde Park Education Complex and the Agassiz in Jamaica Plain might be used for those purposes because of their large size, Goar said.

In addition to the need for temporary space, some existing schools, such as the Boston Arts Academy, have applied for state grants that would let them expand. Goar pointed to Snowden High School in Copley Square as an example of a school now in leased space that might be moved into one of the soon to shut schools.

However, Goar said it's too early to say exactly how the space will shake out, because school officials are still trying to figure out space needs for the coming two years. "I couldn't tell you today which buildings will still be vacant in fall of 2011 or fall of 2012," Goar said, adding that BPS is not looking to sell off any of the buildings.

At-large Councilor John Connolly grew frustrated at the lack of specifics, saying school officials repeatedly come to meetings without detailed information. Councilor Bill Linehan (South Boston, South End) said he wants BPS to prepare "a business plan" for the ten buildings - including their marketplace value in case the city decides to sell them. "We do not need to hold onto physical assets if they will not be used," he said.

City Councilor Charles Yancey (Mattapan), as he does at every hearing involving education, called for construction of a new high school in Mattapan. However, he added it makes little sense to shutter the recently upgraded Hyde Park building when students at other schools are in basements or don't have adequate classroom resources.