Boston School Committee Meeting - May 6, 2026

The Boston School Committee met on May 6, 2026, at the Bruce C. Bolling Building. The meeting opened with recognition of BSAC graduating seniors, followed by a hearing on the Massachusetts School Choice Program, a superintendent's report, a BSAC update, public testimony, and action on grants, the school choice vote, a supplemental appropriation, and reports on the FY27 interim salary, Dudley Street charter renewal, and the proposed AI policy. The committee approved the school choice non-participation (6-0-1), the supplemental appropriation (6-0-1), and the grants unanimously. The meeting also included extensive public comment on AI, schoolyard safety, equity, and other topics.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes of the April 15 meeting were approved by unanimous consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Mudd (Cambridge resident, grandparent of JFK Elementary student) urged the committee to prioritize SMART goals for achievement gaps, educator diversity, and bilingual education for multilingual learners, noting a contradiction between the inclusive education and bilingual education goals in the strategic roadmap. He advocated for explicit targets in the fall implementation plan.
• Ginger Brown (Dorchester parent, JFK Family Council co-chair) advocated for schoolyard improvements at JFK Elementary, citing safety hazards from the geothermal project, including damaged blacktop, exposed mulch with needles, and a compromised chain-link fence. She urged the city to secure funding for safe playground surfaces.
• Laura Lara Soto (Sociedad Latina youth leader) testified about AI concerns, stating that teachers are not directly involved in learning, leading to student demotivation and overreliance on AI, which hinders development of critical thinking. She advocated for modifications to BPS AI use.
• Kenneth Francisco (student) shared a personal experience where an AI detection tool falsely flagged his essay as AI-generated, resulting in a zero until he proved authorship. He warned against using AI detectors alone to assess student work.
• Julia Morales (Sociedad Latina) proposed creation of a Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) with formal recommending authority, including parent, student, educator, and IEP representation, to oversee device policies, AI tools, and transparency.
• Robert Jenkins (Roslindale parent) urged the district to apply critical scrutiny to ed tech investments, noting that human relationships between staff and students are fundamental and that budget cuts should not replace personal connection with technology. He also raised concerns about staggered lottery timelines for BPS sixth graders.
• Travis Marshall (Roslindale parent) echoed similar concerns about budget cuts and the importance of support staff roles.
• Joanne Freeman (Citywide Parent Council) requested that the district maintain designated family liaisons, translation support, district-wide promotion of CPC meetings, consistent liaison contact updates, and quarterly meetings with the superintendent.
• Edith Bazile (SPEDPAC Chair) expressed concern about the district's move away from authentic family engagement, citing deep cuts to family and community engagement staff. She requested a scheduled joint meeting with parent organizations and a second required presentation to the school committee before year-end.
• Deirdre Manning (Dorchester parent) criticized the exam school admission policy, stating that Tier 3 and Tier 4 students continue to have inequitable access, with a cutoff above 96 at BLS for Tier 4. She urged equitable access and consistent GPA treatment for all city students.

Discussion Items

Superintendent's Report

Superintendent Mary Skipper reported on visits and key metrics:

• Transportation on-time performance (OTP): Morning OTP averaged 93% in March and 94% in April; afternoon OTP averaged 88% in March and 89% in April—the highest on record for April. Uncovered morning routes declined from 0.9% in March to 0.6% in April.
• FAFSA completion: 2,060 seniors (53%) completed the FAFSA as of April, an 11 percentage point increase from 42% the prior year.
• Cell phone policy: Ongoing community engagement; awaiting state guidance from DESE.
• Recognitions: EdVestors showcase, It's My Night prom event (400+ students from 19 schools), and Tech Boston athlete Edgar for the NFHS Spirit of Sport Award.
• Member Torres noted the increase in FAFSA completion and asked about crosswalking those numbers with enrollment. Chair Robinson highlighted the Boston Opportunity Agenda report showing kindergarten readiness improvements. The superintendent committed to sharing the report.

The superintendent reported she would leave early due to a family emergency but would rejoin virtually.

BSAC End-of-Year Update

Student Representative Mahnoor (Brian High junior) and Director Denise Rory presented:

• BSAC had 38 active members from 21 BPS high schools.
• Focus on youth-led professional developments for adult allies, addressing themes like building relationships and bridging disconnect.
• Advocacy efforts: testimony at City Hall to restore proposed cuts to school year jobs (a proposed $6 million reduction affecting 1,800 positions). Students received paid positions through Success Link, filling 38 of 40 slots.
• BSAC representatives contributed to district strategic plan, AI policy, and multilingual education strategic plan.
• Upcoming showcase on May 7.
• Members discussed the importance of teacher emotional intelligence, and students emphasized the need for non-college career pathways (trade school, cosmetology).

Grants for Approval ($1,455,426)

• Continuing electric bus rebate: $1.1 million for school year 2026–2027 to support bus fleet electrification.
• Special Olympics Massachusetts Unified Champions School Grant: $150,000 (competitive, continuing) serving 800–1,200 students district-wide.
• Kendall Foundation New England Food System Grant: $150,000 (competitive) for farm-to-school program development.
• Questions: The rebate reimburses the cost of electric buses (approximately 3x diesel); does not affect operating budget. The farm-to-school grant includes culturally representative foods. The Special Olympics grant will have a new outcomes reporting structure in fall.
• Approved unanimously.

Massachusetts School Choice Program Vote

• The committee voted to withdraw from the school choice program for 2026–2027 (6 yes, 1 abstention from Member Tran).
• The superintendent recommended continued non-participation to ensure Boston residents have priority access. The surrounding communities (Brookline, Dedham, Needham, Milton, Somerville, Revere) also do not participate.
• The district will explore alternative avenues, including collective bargaining agreements that allow non-resident staff children to attend, with guardrails. A community engagement process and data analysis will be conducted, with updates in fall.
• Discussion: The financial impact per student is variable; the state cap of $5,000 per pupil is below BPS average per-pupil cost. Options for pilots at specific grade levels versus staff-specific programs were debated.

Fiscal Year 2026 Supplemental Appropriation Request ($22,845,672)

• The district is facing a projected $28 million deficit due to high health insurance premiums and utility costs. The request covers $22.8 million in health insurance and utility overages. The remaining ~$5.5 million will be managed through spending controls and grant funding.
• The committee approved the request (6 yes, 1 abstention from Member Peralta, who needed more time to review). The matter now goes to the Boston City Council.
• Discussion: The FY27 budget had adjusted for health insurance increases; FY26 did not, requiring this mid-year supplement. Future updates will be provided in October.

FY27 Interim Salary and Non-Personnel Payments on External Funds

• An annual request to authorize interim payments on grants (e.g., Title I ~$40M, circuit breaker) while awaiting formal awards. This allows hiring staff for the school year start. Committee will vote on this at the June 10 meeting.
• Questions focused on unspent Title I funds, data on spending, and the adequacy of McKinney-Vento funds ($72,000) for homeless students. Chief Bloom noted that the district spends additional millions from other sources. Title III funds ($2M) support multilingual learners. A grant outcomes report is expected in fall.

Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School Renewal Application

• Principal Elijah Heckstall and Jesse Solomon (Boston Plan for Excellence) presented the renewal request.
• The school has moved from Tier 4 to Tier 2 on the BPS School Quality Framework, and its accountability percentile improved from 10 to 16. Foundational literacy gains: K-2 phonological awareness increased from 54% to 83% meeting/exceeding expectations; first graders below grade level dropped from 24% to 3%.
• The school serves 265–290 students, with about 50% matriculating to BPS schools and 25–30% to Commonwealth charters. The grade configuration (K-5) is misaligned with BPS's K-6 model; facilities limitations prevent adding a sixth grade. The district is working on solutions.
• Teacher retention is 85–95%. The school emphasizes internal coherence, high-quality curriculum (Illustrative Math, Wilson), and embedded professional development.
• The committee will vote on the charter renewal at its June 10 meeting.

Proposed Artificial Intelligence Policy

• Chief Technology Officer Lisa Iri and Deputy Chief Tony Beatrice presented the draft policy, developed with over 500 stakeholders (students, educators, families) through 20+ sessions.
• Core values: human-centric, equity, purposeful use, safety, transparency, continuous learning. The policy establishes guardrails for data privacy, ethical use, and prohibitions (e.g., cyberbullying). Guidelines provide implementation strategies, approved tools, and use cases like the Elliott K-8 chatbot for student writing feedback.
• The policy includes a student-friendly process for contesting AI detection accusations. The policy applies to both students and staff. A fall launch of AI literacy courses for grades 9–12 is planned, with training for all staff.
• Discussion: Members raised concerns about bias in AI tools, screen time, equity of access, environmental footprint, and the need for community partnerships for family education. The committee will vote on the policy at a future meeting after continued feedback.

Key Outcomes

• Approved (unanimous): Consent agenda (minutes), grants totaling $1,455,426.
• Approved (6-0-1): Withdrawal from Massachusetts School Choice Program for 2026–2027 (Member Tran abstained).
• Approved (6-0-1): Fiscal Year 2026 supplemental appropriation request of $22,845,672 (Member Peralta abstained). The request will be sent to the Boston City Council.
• Tabled: FY27 interim salary and non-personnel payments vote will occur at the June 10 meeting.
• Tabled: Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School renewal vote will occur at the June 10 meeting.
• Tabled: AI policy vote will occur at a future meeting after additional feedback.
• Upcoming Retreat: Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 6 PM at the Bruce C. Bolling Building (open to public).
• Next Regular Meeting: June 10, 2026, at 6 PM (in-person).
• The superintendent committed to providing memos on student assignment timelines post-closures, HR hiring process updates, and FY27 budget monitoring dates.