Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts
| Boston Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| Boston, Massachusetts |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Mary Skipper |
| # of school board members: 8[1] |
| Website: Link |
Boston Public Schools is a school district in Massachusetts.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
 |
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
Mary Skipper is the superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Skipper was appointed superintendent in June 2022 and started serving as superintendent on September 26, 2022. Her previous career experience includes serving as superintendent of the Somerville Public School District.[2]
Past superintendents
- Brenda Cassellius was the superintendent of Boston Public Schools from May 1, 2019 until June 30, 2022.[3] Cassellius' previous career experience includes working as the Minnesota Commissioner of Education.[4]
- Laura Perille was the interim superintendent of Boston Public Schools in 2018. Perille's previous career experience included working as the CEO of EdVestors.[4]
- Tommy Chang was the superintendent of Boston Public Schools from 2015 to 2018. Chang's previous career experience included working as the local instructional superintendent of the Intensive Support and Innovation Center in the Los Angeles Unified School District.[5][6][7][8]
School board
Boston Public Schools consists of seven members appointed to four-year terms by the mayor of Boston. The committee transitioned from an elected group to an appointed group in 1992.[9]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| Boston School Committee | Stephen Alkins | January 12, 2022 |
| Boston School Committee | Chantal Lima Barbosa | August 25, 2023 |
| Boston School Committee | Brandon Cardet-Hernandez | January 25, 2022 |
| Boston School Committee | Rafaela Garcia | August 4, 2021 |
| Boston School Committee | Michael O'Neill | 2008 |
| Boston School Committee | Jeri Robinson | 2014 |
| Boston School Committee | Quoc Tran | 2019 |
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The Boston School Committee maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[10]
| “ | Rules for Public Comment
The public comment sign up form is posted here 48 hours prior to each meeting. Sign up for public comment closes one hour before the start of the meeting. For remote meetings, please unmute yourself and turn on your camera when it is your turn to testify. Only speakers who turn on their camera will be allowed to testify; speakers who do not wish to be on camera can submit their testimony in writing to esullivan3@bostonpublicschools.org. Speakers must begin their remarks by stating their name, affiliation, and neighborhood of residence.
Rules of Conduct at Meetings Convened by the School Committee
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District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[12]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $210,548,000 | $4,560 | 12% |
| Local: | $1,074,522,000 | $23,274 | 62% |
| State: | $448,939,000 | $9,724 | 26% |
| Total: | $1,734,009,000 | $37,558 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $2,188,103,000 | $47,393 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $1,608,287,000 | $34,834 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $912,269,000 | $19,759 | 42% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $229,627,000 | $4,973 | 10% |
| Administration: | $144,881,000 | $3,138 | 7% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $311,109,000 | $6,738 | 14% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $200,490,000 | $4,342 | |
| Construction: | $104,406,000 | $2,261 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $13,910,000 | $301 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $49,716,000 | $1,076 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024[13] | $64,432 | $128,913 |
| 2023-2024[14] | $62,555 | $125,159 |
| 2020-2021[15] | $63,806 | $122,530 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[16]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 22 | 57 | 12 | 12 | <=10 | 33 | 48 |
| 2018-2019 | 35 | 74 | 23 | 25 | 11-19 | 44 | 64 |
| 2017-2018 | 36 | 74 | 25 | 27 | 20-29 | 45 | 63 |
| 2016-2017 | 36 | 75 | 25 | 27 | 30-39 | 41 | 61 |
| 2015-2016 | 47 | 83 | 35 | 41 | 30-39 | 54 | 71 |
| 2014-2015 | 44 | 80 | 32 | 37 | 45-49 | 54 | 66 |
| 2013-2014 | 44 | 79 | 32 | 38 | 40-44 | 51 | 67 |
| 2012-2013 | 42 | 80 | 31 | 37 | 35-39 | 46 | 66 |
| 2011-2012 | 40 | 77 | 29 | 34 | 40-44 | 44 | 63 |
| 2010-2011 | 39 | 75 | 29 | 34 | 30-34 | 39 | 61 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 33 | 56 | 23 | 24 | 20-29 | 48 | 61 |
| 2018-2019 | 37 | 64 | 26 | 28 | 20-29 | 50 | 64 |
| 2017-2018 | 40 | 66 | 32 | 32 | 20-29 | 52 | 67 |
| 2016-2017 | 38 | 63 | 30 | 31 | 30-39 | 44 | 63 |
| 2015-2016 | 53 | 79 | 45 | 46 | 50-59 | 57 | 75 |
| 2014-2015 | 51 | 77 | 43 | 43 | 60-64 | 56 | 74 |
| 2013-2014 | 49 | 69 | 42 | 41 | 55-59 | 59 | 73 |
| 2012-2013 | 47 | 69 | 40 | 40 | 45-49 | 55 | 71 |
| 2011-2012 | 46 | 68 | 39 | 39 | 50-54 | 55 | 70 |
| 2010-2011 | 47 | 67 | 40 | 42 | 50-54 | 53 | 69 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 75 | 92 | 75 | 70 | >=50 | 75-79 | 84 |
| 2018-2019 | 73 | 91 | 72 | 67 | >=50 | 80-84 | 82 |
| 2017-2018 | 75 | 93 | 76 | 68 | >=50 | 70-74 | 81 |
| 2016-2017 | 73 | 90 | 69 | 69 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 80 |
| 2015-2016 | 72 | 88 | 69 | 67 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 82 |
| 2014-2015 | 71 | 86 | 70 | 64 | >=50 | 70-74 | 76 |
| 2013-2014 | 67 | 87 | 66 | 60 | >=50 | 65-69 | 72 |
| 2012-2013 | 66 | 83 | 64 | 60 | 60-79 | 60-64 | 75 |
| 2011-2012 | 66 | 85 | 65 | 59 | 40-59 | 65-69 | 73 |
| 2010-2011 | 64 | 80 | 62 | 57 | >=50 | 70-74 | 77 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 45,742 | -1.4 |
| 2022-2023 | 46,367 | 0.4 |
| 2021-2022 | 46,169 | -4.2 |
| 2020-2021 | 48,112 | -4.9 |
| 2019-2020 | 50,480 | -1.9 |
| 2018-2019 | 51,433 | -2.4 |
| 2017-2018 | 52,664 | -1.9 |
| 2016-2017 | 53,640 | -0.5 |
| 2015-2016 | 53,885 | -0.8 |
| 2014-2015 | 54,312 | 0.0 |
| 2013-2014 | 54,300 | -1.5 |
| 2012-2013 | 55,114 | 0.2 |
| 2011-2012 | 55,027 | -1.8 |
| 2010-2011 | 56,037 | 1.2 |
| 2009-2010 | 55,371 | -1.0 |
| 2008-2009 | 55,923 | -0.4 |
| 2007-2008 | 56,168 | -0.4 |
| 2006-2007 | 56,388 | -1.7 |
| 2005-2006 | 57,349 | -0.7 |
| 2004-2005 | 57,742 | -4.2 |
| 2003-2004 | 60,150 | -2.3 |
| 2002-2003 | 61,552 | -1.0 |
| 2001-2002 | 62,141 | -1.4 |
| 2000-2001 | 63,024 | 0.1 |
| 1999-2000 | 62,950 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Boston Public Schools (%) | Massachusetts K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 8.3 | 7.4 |
| Black | 28.3 | 9.6 |
| Hispanic | 44.7 | 25.1 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.6 | 4.5 |
| White | 14.8 | 52.8 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Boston Public Schools had 4,384.55 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 10.43.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 285.44 |
| Kindergarten: | 311.67 |
| Elementary: | 2,458.80 |
| Secondary: | 1,328.64 |
| Total: | 4,384.55 |
Boston Public Schools employed 320.50 district administrators and 398.64 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 320.50 |
| District Administrative Support: | 266.75 |
| School Administrators: | 398.64 |
| School Administrative Support: | 413.42 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 1,613.89 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 3.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 103.21 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 6.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 97.21 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 45.15 |
| Library/Media Support: | 41.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 1,136.29 |
| Other Support Services: | 485.03 |
Schools
Contact information
Boston Public Schools
2300 Washington St.
Roxbury, MA 02119
Phone: 617-635-9000
About school boards
Education legislation in Massachusetts
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Massachusetts | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Boston Public Schools
- Massachusetts Association of School Committees
- Massachusetts Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ This number includes one elected student representative.
- ↑ WBUR, "New Boston schools superintendent officially starts her new role," accessed September 6, 2023
- ↑ WGBH, "Exit Interview: Superintendent Cassellius says she's ‘very worried’ about staffing shortages," accessed September 6, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Boston Public Schools, "Superintendent Search Process," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ Boston Public Schools, "Superintendent Tommy Chang," accessed October 5, 2015
- ↑ Boston Globe, "$257,000 salary approved for new Boston schools chief," March 12, 2015
- ↑ Boston Globe, "Boston Schools head to step down as Walsh signals lack of support," June 22, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "Boston schools superintendent resigns 1 day after deportation lawsuit filed," June 24, 2018
- ↑ Boston Public Schools, "About the School Committee," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ Boston Public Schools, "About School Committee Meetings," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ Boston Teacher's Union, "Contracts," accessed April 16, 2025
- ↑ Boston Teacher's Union, "Contracts," accessed April 16, 2025
- ↑ Boston Public Schools, "2018-2021 Teacher Salary Grids," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
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