The Boston School Committee held their second meeting of the school year last night, primarily to present a proposal to change the exam school admissions policy. This was the sole report of the meeting and much of the public comment surrounded this proposal.

After the Superintendent’s report, Member Cardet-Hernández pressed for updates on graduation rates and summer school outcomes. Superintendent Skipper noted those would come at the October 8th meeting, alongside official enrollment numbers.

The district formally presented its recommended changes:

1. Remove all school-based points, which Skipper described as confusing, inequitable, and less impactful over time.

2. Reduce housing-based points from 15 to 10 points, aligning with observed differences in composite scores.

3. Add a “citywide round”: the first 20% of seats at each exam school would go to applicants with the highest composite scores citywide, regardless of tier.

4. Maintain the current four-tier structure, based on neighborhood population, not applicant numbers.

Superintendent Skipper emphasized that these changes would ensure fairness, prevent inflation of scores above 100, and preserve the original intent of the 2021 policy. However, School Committee members raised important questions about the implications of the policy shifts. For instance, Member Polanco García pressed for plans to better support newcomers and English Language Learners, whom Skipper admitted still lack sufficient resources. Meanwhile, Member Rachel Skerritt sought clarity on whether the proposal preserves equity while creating a pathway for the city’s highest achievers. She also noted the district’s failure to deliver on earlier promises to strengthen rigor in grades 4–6, which was promised five years ago. Zooming out a bit, Member Cardet Hernández questioned why BPS continues to frame admissions around three schools instead of tackling system-wide quality, noting families’ desire for options across all grades. And Member Stephen Alkins asked about the drop in projected Black student enrollment (from ~20% to 15%) and urged more transparency in data and grading practices. To cap it all off, Chair Robinson underscored the Committee’s failure to improve early-grade preparation, warning that focusing solely on exam school admissions leaves thousands of other students behind. Clearly, members have many questions, and it is unclear if this policy change will meet the stated goals of clarity, stability, and simplicity.

Exam School Admissions Policy Recommendation:
What’s Up Next?The Committee will take a final vote on the admissions policy on November 5th. The next meeting will be held on October 8th at 6pm. We look forward to connecting with you then!

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