City on a Hill Charter School (CoaH), one of the first 14 charter schools in Massachusetts, graduated its final class of students last month, then closed its doors after 30 years as a learning place.
On June 3, the school ended its story on a triumphant note, celebrating the Class of 2025 and on June 18, it held a “Last, Last Day of School” event to memorialize its past and present.
The crowded and energetic graduation ceremony was held at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester, where the class valedictorian, Chanel Rodriguez Baez of Dorchester, talked about wisdom. She will attend Northeastern University in the fall and her classmates will be off to colleges like Syracuse, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Lowell, and Wentworth to pursue degrees in nursing, engineering and criminal justice.
The school also recently hosted a separate celebration of its 30 years of providing education to high school students from around the city with a cookout on school grounds, where alumni/a, current and former teachers and administrators, and community supporters listened to stories of the school’s history and contributions to the community.
“In a world where it is so easy to be mediocre, we dared to be exceptional,” Executive Director Sonya Pratt told the crowd. “That’s why we must celebrate the impact that City on a Hill has had on its students, staff, families, and community.”
