Bowen Elementary School
Bowen Elementary School is one of 15 public elementaries in Newton. It draws its more than 420 students primarily from the Chestnut Hill and Thompsonville neighborhoods. After 5th grade, Bowen students go to Oak Hill Middle School, and then to Newton North High School. Bowen was originally constructed in 1952. The building was renovated in 1989, and a major expansion in 2000 added six new classrooms and relocated the library. Bowen now has 64,000 square feet of space, more than any elementary school except Memorial-Spaulding. A modular classroom was added in 2007. Bowen sits on 11.5 acres, the largest property of any Newton school. Because of that, it is often mentioned as a candidate for expansion. However, Newton's education policies call for elementary schools to be smaller than 500 students, and an addition would push enrollment over that number. A report done for the School Committe in 2007 rated Bowen as slightly overcrowded, but warned that it faces an increase of 173 students over the next five years. That 40% surge is the largest projected enrollment increase of any elementary school, and more than twice the increase projected for Newton schools as a whole. Bowen is one of the most diverse of Newton's public schools. In 2007-8 the student body was 60% white, 20% Asian, 8% Hispanic, and 5% African American.
Version 12.1 last modified by / on 11/15/2008 at 03:47