Boston School Committee Meeting – June 10, 2026

The Boston School Committee met on June 10, 2026, starting at 5 p.m. to accommodate a packed agenda. Chaired by Jerry Robinson, the meeting included the superintendent's report, public testimony from 27 speakers, action on multiple grants, policies, and charter renewals, as well as presentations on special education, the superintendent's evaluation, and a new private school application. The meeting adjourned after 11 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved by unanimous consent.
• Grants and Donations: 14 grants totaling $5,039,061 and two in-kind donations valued at $5,225.49 were approved by unanimous consent. Grants focused on social-emotional learning, health and wellness, career and technical education (including $920,000 for Madison Park), and community preservation (over $3.5 million for schoolyard improvements at Conley, Everett, Trotter, and UP Academy Dorchester).

Public Comments & Testimony

• SLIFE Program Cuts: Multiple educators and advocates (Beth Nivrich, Jen Hayes, Ana Velarde, Alicia Silva, Ariana Sicairos McCarthy, Shaina Gilbert, Robin Kelly, Juan Gutierrez, Myra de Rocha, Kimberly Hirsch) opposed the district's decision to exit students from the SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education) program after two years and to cut native literacy teacher positions. They argued that the two-year timeline contradicts research on language acquisition, that exits are being made without individualized assessments, and that cuts to native literacy instruction violate the Medias consent decree. They urged the district to stop forced exits and preserve staffing.
• Special Education and Inclusion: Several parents (including a parent speaking on IEP placement, another on lack of inclusive capacity, Camille Stubb, Courtney Freely Carp, Anne Marie Baduva, and others) criticized the placement process for students with IEPs, the lack of clear information on inclusive practices, and the disproportionate burden on Black students and multilingual learners. They called for meaningful inclusion with appropriate staffing, resources, and family partnership.
• Exam School Admissions: Deirdre Manning raised concerns about the tier system for exam school admissions, arguing it disadvantages students from under-resourced neighborhoods like Mattapan.
• SLIFE Student Exits: Teachers highlighted that the district lowered the ACCESS score requirement from 2.5 to 1.7, exited students based on time rather than readiness, and cut positions without consulting educators. One speaker noted that her SLIFE program at Charlestown High School was closed last August, wasting curriculum and expertise.
• School Closures: Cheryl Buckman expressed gratitude for the community engagement during the Dever school closure process but called for carrying its values forward.
• Bilingual Programs: April Bo Wong criticized the district for denying citywide access to the low-incidence bilingual Chinese program at Josiah Quincy Elementary, calling it inequitable and wasteful of capacity.
• Facility Issues: Eugenia Corbo and Jessica Cortez highlighted that classrooms at the Mario Umana Academy reached 95°F in May because central air could not be activated until mid-May due to a scheduling failure. They urged the district to speed up the cooling startup process.

Discussion Items

• Superintendent's Report: Superintendent Mary Skipper reported on the FY27 budget approval, noting an enrollment decline of 3,000 students over two years (including a drop in multilingual learners due to federal immigration policy). She stated that 368 permanent educators were initially accessed, with 66 still unassigned; 205 paraprofessionals were accessed, with 46 unassigned. There will be no layoffs of permanent teachers or paras. Staff diversity reached 58.8% people of color, and educator language fluency rose to 42.7% (up from 31% in 2021). Summer programming: 4,631 students enrolled in summer learning (capacity 5,850), 2,856 in high school credit recovery, 625 in middle school recovery, and 277 in the exam school initiative. The district received a $12.8 million Bloomberg Philanthropies grant for skilled trades at Madison Park. A video highlighted the 2025–26 school year.
• AI Policy: The committee discussed the proposed AI policy, which includes guidelines for safe and ethical use, student safety protections, academic integrity, and required training. Staff noted updates based on community engagement, including guidance on AI detection tools and student voice on steering committees. The policy was approved unanimously.
• OAG Policy: The 2026 Opportunity and Achievement Gaps policy was presented as a North Star for closing gaps for historically marginalized groups. The policy includes SMART goals for literacy, bilingual education, and teacher diversity. Members expressed hope that implementation and strategic plan alignment would follow. The policy was approved unanimously.
• Private School Approvals: Two new private schools were approved to operate in Boston: Alpha School (K-8, AI-personalized learning) and Douglas Ridley School (K-2 to 6, Reggio Emilia approach). Both were approved on 5-1 votes (one member voted no on each, citing concerns about oversight and district resources). The committee acknowledged the administrative nature of the approval but called for a review of the process with DESE.
• Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School Renewal: The committee approved the charter renewal, accountability plan, MOU, and revised expulsion policy. One member recused themselves due to a relationship with the school, and one member abstained. The vote was 5-0-1.
• Horace Mann Charter Updates: Presented updates to MOUs, accountability plans, and expulsion policies for five Horace Mann charter schools (EMK, BDEA, Boston Green, UP Academy Dorchester, and Dudley Street). The expulsion policies were revised to comply with a 2020 SJC ruling requiring superintendent-level appeal hearings. The items will be voted on at the July 8 meeting.
• SPEDPAC Presentation: SPEDPAC Chair Edith Bazile, Vice Chair Shanique Marino, and student Elijah presented concerns from families of students with disabilities. Key themes: lack of transparent placement processes, disproportionate seclusion and suspension of Black students (Black students are 29% of enrollment but 51% of seclusion incidents), need for authentic family partnership, urgency of literacy instruction, and preservation of successful inclusion models. Six recommendations were offered, including stronger family engagement, clear inclusion definitions, sustained investment in educators, and racial equity impact analysis for school closures.
• Superintendent's Summative Evaluation: Vice Chair Scarrett and Dr. Alkins presented the evaluation, which averaged a score of 4.0 out of 5 (consistently exceeds expectations). Strengths included institutional stability, gains in graduation rates (81.3%), early college enrollment (38% increase), and workforce diversity. Areas for growth included family and community engagement (need for earlier, more transparent communication), accelerating student proficiency (only one-third of students meet MCAS expectations), and reducing out-of-district placements. The final vote on the evaluation will occur at the July 8 meeting.
• South End Village Academy (SIVA) Private School Application: Head of School Christina Lopez presented the proposed independent school (preschool to grade 6) at the former Croft School site. The school was formed after the Croft crisis; it has 81 enrolled students, 42% on financial aid, and a $1 million gift to cover deficits. The review team found it meets criteria with conditions. A vote is scheduled for July 8.

Key Outcomes

• Votes Approved:
  • Consent agenda (minutes, grants, in-kind donations) – unanimous.
  • Fiscal Year 2027 school trust funds – approved 7-0 (roll call).
  • FY27 interim salary and non-personnel payments on external funds – approved 7-0.
  • Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School renewal, accountability plan, MOU, and expulsion policy – approved 5-0-1 (one abstention, one recusal).
  • Alpha School private school – approved 5-1.
  • Douglas Ridley School private school – approved 5-1.
  • Artificial Intelligence policy – approved 7-0.
  • 2026 Opportunity and Achievement Gaps policy – approved 7-0.
• Next Steps: The superintendent's summative evaluation and the South End Village Academy application will be voted on at the July 8, 2026 remote meeting. The committee will also receive updates on SLIFE program decisions and inclusion implementation.