Last Night At School Committee

The Boston Public Schools (BPS) School Committee held its first meeting of 2026 this week, coming at a critical moment for the district with new committee members, the current $53 million budget deficit, as well as serious questions about inclusion and transparency.

Superintendent’s Report: Staffing, Closures, and Next Steps

Superintendent Mary Skipper began her report by addressing the district’s next steps following the recent vote on school closures. Superintendent Skipper stated that BPS has held meetings with school leaders to plan transitions, assigned senior project managers to each affected school, and started reviewing student-level data to provide targeted support. Additionally, Superintendent Skipper noted the focus is on student and family transitions, staff support, and community engagement.

Later in her report, Superintendent Skipper turned to one of the district’s most urgent challenges: a projected $53 million deficit in the current fiscal year. She attributed the shortfall primarily to rising health insurance costs, filling vacant positions, additional bus routes, food services, and out-of-district special education.

New Committee Members: 

The Superintendent also acknowledged changes to the composition of the School Committee. Two new members, Lydia Torres and Franklin Peralta, joined the body, and Rachel Skerritt was named Vice Chair. The changes come alongside notable departures. Long-time member Michael O’Neill resigned after 17 years of service, and Brandon Cardet Hernandez was not reappointed despite applying for a second term.

Inclusive Education: Two Divergent Visions 

The most contentious portion of the meeting came during a joint presentation on services for students with disabilities. Superintendent Skipper reaffirmed the district’s commitment to inclusive education as part of the now-concluded DESE Systemic Improvement Plan.

But Edith Bazile, Chair of the Boston Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SpEdPAC), offered a starkly different assessment. She argued that BPS lacks a clear inclusion strategy, a defined timeline, and a dedicated budget. Instead of expanding successful inclusive models, she noted, the district is closing them, including nationally recognized programs like Henderson Upper School.

Ms. Bazile also raised concerns about access to data, particularly data needed to assess outcomes for students with disabilities. She highlighted autism as a racial and gender equity issue, noting that nearly 80% of students with autism in BPS are male and that Black and Latino students make up the majority of these students. Inclusion, she argued, must be measured by outcomes and the district has not provided sufficient data to evaluate its own practices. Notably, what was framed as a joint presentation often felt like a public debate, revealing deep misalignment between Kay Seale, Director of Special Education for BPS, and parent advocates. The contrast raised serious concerns about communication, trust, and whether the district’s vision for inclusion is shared. 

Conversation with a Former Committee Member: 

Lastly, we had the opportunity to speak with former School Committee member Brandon Cardet-Hernandez. Member Cardet-Hernandez spoke about the recent decision relating to the Madison Park rebuild, how failure of the district to adhere to MassCore requirements, as well as a number of other topics. 

Here at the Shah Foundation, our team put together a deep-dive into both the renovation of Madison Park, the state of MassCore completion, and the aforementioned budget gap. To gain a clearer grasp of the district’s budget concerns, please click here. To learn more about Madison Park, please click here, and to better understand how students in BPS are handling MassCore, please click here. 

The next meeting will be on February 4th at 5:30pm. We look forward to connecting with you then!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At last night’s meeting, many important issues were discussed and decided. These included an important memo about enrollment decline, a school closure vote, and a budget update. Conversations between the Committee and district pointed to long-term issues for BPS.

The School Closure Vote: 

The most anticipated item of the evening was the vote on school closures. Chair Robinson framed the decision as part of a broader strategy to improve academic outcomes, address underutilized facilities, and strengthen the district’s long-term sustainability. Superintendent Skipper emphasized declining enrollment, excess capacity, and the need to concentrate resources in fewer schools, referencing the district’s long-term facilities framework and enrollment projections as justification for the closures.

Committee members expressed significant unease ahead of the vote. Several members raised concerns about students who have already experienced multiple school transitions due to prior closures and questioned whether the district has tracked outcomes for those students. Others noted confusion around the district’s emphasis on facilities, particularly in cases where school buildings remain in usable condition. Members also highlighted broader systemic failures, including the absence of a clear, actionable long-term facilities plan and a history of delayed accountability.

Despite widespread concern, unresolved questions, and visible discomfort among several members, the Committee approved the school closure plan by a vote of six in favor and one opposed. The discussion made clear that some members viewed the vote as a necessary fiscal decision rather than an educational one, underscoring the tension between budget realities and student-centered outcomes.

A Financial Update: 

The final presentation of the evening focused on the district’s financial outlook as budget season begins for the Committee. Superintendent Skipper described mounting fiscal pressures, including rising healthcare costs, collective bargaining agreements, transportation expenses, special education costs, and continued enrollment decline. District leadership also introduced the transition from weighted student funding to a new rules-based funding formula, intended to more equitably fund schools and provide greater transparency.

Chief Financial Officer David Bloom explained that the new funding model prioritizes required staffing and non-personnel costs before allocating remaining resources, marking a shift away from per-pupil funding. District leadership emphasized that transition support will be provided to schools over the next two years, as the shift occurs. Committee discussion highlighted the district’s nearly $150 million transportation budget, inefficiencies in service delivery, and parallels between rising healthcare and transportation costs. Members raised concerns about accountability and questioned whether longstanding inefficiencies are being meaningfully addressed.

Committee members also questioned the growth in support staff amid declining enrollment. District officials indicated that staffing reductions will largely affect classroom teachers and paraprofessionals, while attempting to preserve positions tied to inclusive education and student support services. Estimates suggest that several hundred positions may be eliminated as enrollment continues to fall and schools close, reinforcing concerns about the district’s long-term workforce planning.

A Closing Recognition and Looking Ahead: 

The meeting concluded with the Committee honoring Vice Chair Michael O’Neill for his 17 years of service to the BPS and the City of Boston. 

The next public meeting will be held virtually on January 21st, 2026 at 5:30pm. In the meantime, we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season filled with health, joy, and community. We will see you in the new year!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Introduction: 

The meeting opened with an executive session to discuss a tentative agreement with the Boston Association of School Administrators and Supervisors (BASAS), which the Committee will vote on at its next meeting on December 17th. Additionally, the Committee recognized Taylor McCoy, an Inclusion Specialist at Mattahunt Elementary School, as the 2025 Shattuck Award recipient. Members celebrated her dedication as well as the work of countless educators who serve students every day.

Public Comment: 

Public comment was emotional and dominated by strong opposition to the proposed school closures, including Another Course to College (ACC), the Community Academy of Science and Health (C.A.S.H.), the Henderson Inclusion School, and Lee Academy. There were 60 speakers scheduled to comment at the meeting, though the actual number of speakers was closer to 50. Students, parents, teachers, and community members emphasized the importance of each school community and the lack of clear transition plans for impacted students. Speakers also pointed to the contrast between the district’s update on inclusive practices and the forthcoming vote to close many schools with high-needs students. Additionally, in response to requests from the public, Committee Members Skarrett and Cardet-Hernandez requested that the district present detailed transition plans for students.

For the fourth meeting in a row, public speakers also raised concerns about the lack of citywide bilingual education programming and urged the district to expand multilingual learner support. The district released a memo to the public about proposed expansion prior to the meeting. Notably, the findings from the district underscored the cost of transportation for students as a major challenge in developing citywide programming. In a separate memo released earlier in the day, the district announced that a system-wide cell phone policy will be released in 2026. We will continue to monitor how this situation plays out.  

Inclusive Education Plan Update: 

The only report of the evening focused on the district’s progress toward implementing inclusive education. Superintendent Skipper framed the update as a continuation of the district’s 2022 strategy to move all schools toward inclusive classroom models. BPS previously submitted its Inclusive Education Plan to DESE in October 2023 as part of the Systemic Improvement Plan. District staff described improvements over the past three years and highlighted tools and practices they believe are beginning to show positive student outcomes.

Committee members raised multiple concerns about implementation, clarity, and outcomes. Member Cardet-Hernandez questioned why some schools’ student populations still do not reflect district demographics and pushed the district on protections against over-identification of Black boys and multilingual learners for substantially separate placements. District staff acknowledged ongoing concerns, noting that although the rate of substantially separate placements has decreased to 30.7%, it remains unacceptable.

Member Alkins asked directly about the challenges the district still faces in implementing inclusive practices. The response focused on professional development and cross-functional collaboration rather than on student outcomes or systemwide effectiveness. Member Skerrett pressed for clear benchmarks and targets to measure whether inclusion efforts are actually improving student progress. The presentation offered few concrete indicators, raising lingering questions about outcomes as well as how the district will measure success during upcoming budget discussions.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last Night at School Committee - November 19th, 2025: 

Here’s what happened Last Night at the Boston School Committee meeting.

Superintendent’s Report:

The Superintendent began with updates on transportation and enrollment, noting that the district has seen record-high transportation performance this fall. Morning on-time performance has reached 95% or higher on nine separate days, a remarkable increase given that in past years BPS only hit that mark twice during the first 45 days of school. Member Cardet-Hernandez, however, inquired about the headline the Superintendent avoided mentioning: the recent bribery and kickback scheme involving a Transdev employee, and the long-standing oversight failures that allowed uncertified drivers and other safety lapses to occur. The Superintendent stated that the latest transportation contract includes stronger accountability provisions, but did not elaborate on what those measures look like. 

The Superintendent then shifted to enrollment, reporting that the district currently serves 46,824 students, an astonishing drop of 1,700 students from this time last year. She attributed the decline to reduced international immigration, fewer children being born in Boston, and smaller cohorts moving through the system. Vice Chair O’Neill followed with questions about how this compares to projections, how much revenue depends on enrollment, and what the district expects for next year. In response, CFO David Bloom explained that Boston’s budget is largely insulated from enrollment declines because city appropriations are not tied to student count. Instead, the budget is tied to local taxes. Moreover, supplemental state and federal grants are based on prior-year enrollment, so the shifts will not have any impact on this coming year.

The Long-Term Facilities Plan: 

The main report of the evening was the long-term facilities plan. Superintendent Skipper framed the work as an effort to align buildings with a shared definition of a high-quality student experience. She asserted the vision is one informed by thousands of surveys, listening sessions, and community engagements. Superintendent Skipper also emphasized that decades of deferred maintenance and sharply declining enrollment have made this planning unavoidable. 

Chief of Capital Planning Delavern Stanislaus then presented an in-depth review of the district’s proposed school closures, mergers, and reconfigurations. The plan includes closing Lee Academy Pilot School, Another Course to College (ACC), and the Community Academy of Science and Health (CASH); restructuring the Henderson School into a unified PreK–8 program; and reconfiguring both Tobin and Russell into PreK–6 schools. Stanislaus also previewed a broader arc of closures, noting that by 2030, the district anticipates approximately eight additional elementary schools and six high schools will ultimately close
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last night’s Boston School Committee meeting was filled with votes on various topics crucial to the future of the district, including an adjustment to the Exam School Admissions Policy as well the Competency Determination for the Classes of 2026 and 2027. Here’s what happened: 

Superintendent’s Update: Food Security for Students

Superintendent Mary Skipper opened with how the district is responding to the federal pause on SNAP benefits. She emphasized that all students will continue to receive free breakfast and lunch at BPS sites, and highlighted ongoing school-based food drives and a centralized drive at the Bolling Building.

OAG Task Force Membership Proposal: 

The Committee reviewed and advanced a new group of members for the Opportunity & Achievement Gaps (OAG) Task Force, which advises and holds the district accountable for a shared plan to close gaps. The updated slate of members were unanimously approved by the Committee later in the evening.

Public Comment: Exam Schools, AI, and Dual Language:

There were 32 speakers during the public comment period, and many addressed the pending exam school admissions vote, but the night also featured a notable student call for a formal district AI framework, including teacher training and certification for responsible use. Additionally, a number of speakers, once again, urged expansion of dual-language programs, echoing similar requests from last week. It will be interesting to monitor whether the Committee moves forward with this request due to the high volume of testimony. 

Adjusted Exam School Admissions Policy: 

In a long-awaited vote, last night was the culmination of months of testimony, presentations, and discussion regarding a change to the Exam School Admissions policy. Superintendent Skipper framed the proposal as a compromise of keeping the benefits of the old system while tweaking other aspects. The recommendation preserves the socioeconomic tier structure while adding a citywide pathway for top-scoring students. In speaking about the decision, Member Stephen Alkins urged deeper equity analysis and simulations to surface nuance for marginalized populations who comprise the district’s majority. Member Rachel Skerritt stressed the core issue in the district: across BPS, there are not enough students meeting grade-level standards in ELA and math to fill the ~1,000 seventh-grade exam school seats.

The adjusted policy passed the committee, with 4 members in favor and 2 members opposed (with one member absent).

Secondary Schools/Competency Determination: 

After the exam school vote, the Committee then considered three more votes:


Chapter 74 (CTE) Admissions Policy for five high schools (Madison Park, English High, Boston Arts Academy, Boston Green Academy, and EMK).


Middle School Career Exploration policy to better inform students about CTE pathways earlier.


Updated Competency Determination (CD) policy aligned to DESE’s summer 2025 changes (the Committee had approved a BPS CD framework in June 2025; this update brings it into compliance with DESE’s revisions).

Member Skerritt sought clarity on what Competency Determination now means for the Classes of 2026 and 2027 versus graduation requirements. She emphasized that the competency determination is a temporary substitute for grade-10 MCAS as a graduation gate and does not equal a diploma. Instead, it’s merely one eligibility condition alongside MassCore and successful completion of four years of study. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices