Overview
- Mayor Michelle Wu delivered Boston’s inaugural State of the Schools at Josiah Quincy Upper School, outlining a district agenda and urging businesses, philanthropies, and civic groups to partner with Boston Public Schools.
- New commitments include a goal to offer before- and after-school programs at every school starting with 20 community hub sites, acceptance of state vouchers at school-based programs, and a 'Wicked Math' effort to build advanced math clubs and train older students as tutors.
- Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper cited operational gains such as 96% of buses arriving on time this week, record AP participation and performance, higher early-college enrollment, improved attendance, and completion or advancement of multiple facilities projects.
- District data still show about 25% of students at or above grade level in math and 29% in reading, large achievement gaps, and 45 schools classified as underperforming, prompting calls from advocates for specific metrics, faster progress, and expanded supports for multilingual learners.
- Additional steps include online registration available in 10 languages and 16 new bilingual programs, while a plan to close or merge up to 17 schools by 2030 and federal funding threats under the Trump administration continue to create uncertainty.