BOSTON, Mass. — Mayor Michelle Wu promised Monday night that Boston Public Schools will set new five-year goals this fall, covering attendance, test scores, early literacy, school safety and college and career preparation, as she gave her second annual State of the Schools address in Boston.
Wu spoke in the Campus Center ballroom at UMass Boston, joined by Superintendent Mary Skipper. The city billed the evening, which began at 6:30 p.m., as an update on its push to make the district the first choice for Boston families and a look at academic and partnership priorities for the coming year.
The mayor pointed to the highest graduation rate the district has ever recorded, a double-digit decline in chronic absenteeism since 2022, and early college or career pathways that now reach more than a quarter of students. The number of students passing three or more Advanced Placement exams rose from about 200 in 2022 to nearly 500 last year. She said the 20 community hub schools in the city, which link schools with businesses and community groups for before- and after-school programs, will add five more by the start of the 2027-28 school year, and that the spelling bee, held at 23 schools until now, will reach all eligible public schools this year.
Afterward, Wu took questions about reading and math scores. She said about 31% of third graders met or exceeded expectations on this year state MCAS tests, and that since 2020 Boston has moved from the 8th to the 21st percentile in how it ranks against districts statewide, passing 28 other districts. Wu and Skipper said the district outperformed the state on the latest results and narrowed the long-running gap, but said they are not satisfied.
School Committee Chair Jeri Robinson, who is retiring soon, was honored during the program.
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