The Boston Public Schools (BPS) School Committee held its first meeting of 2026 this week, coming at a critical moment for the district with new committee members, the current $53 million budget deficit, as well as serious questions about inclusion and transparency.

Superintendent’s Report: Staffing, Closures, and Next Steps

Superintendent Mary Skipper began her report by addressing the district’s next steps following the recent vote on school closures. Superintendent Skipper stated that BPS has held meetings with school leaders to plan transitions, assigned senior project managers to each affected school, and started reviewing student-level data to provide targeted support. Additionally, Superintendent Skipper noted the focus is on student and family transitions, staff support, and community engagement.

Later in her report, Superintendent Skipper turned to one of the district’s most urgent challenges: a projected $53 million deficit in the current fiscal year. She attributed the shortfall primarily to rising health insurance costs, filling vacant positions, additional bus routes, food services, and out-of-district special education. District leadership framed these pressures as largely external and national in scope, rather than fiscal mismanagement. Notably, there was very little public questioning from Committee members on the budget. 

New Committee Members: 

The Superintendent also acknowledged changes to the composition of the School Committee. Two new members, Lydia Torres and Franklin Peralta, joined the body, and Rachel Skerritt was named Vice Chair. The changes come alongside notable departures. Long-time member Michael O’Neill resigned after 17 years of service, and Brandon Cardet Hernandez was not reappointed despite applying for a second term. Known for asking tough questions and centering student outcomes, his departure raises concerns about the loss of critical oversight on the Committee.

Public Comment: Multilingual Learners Left Behind

Only five members of the public spoke during the meeting, a significant drop from recent sessions. Frequent speaker John Mudd raised serious concerns about multilingual education in BPS, and he noted that over 90% of multilingual learners are placed in English-only classrooms, while fewer than 10% are enrolled in dual-language programs. The data suggests a troubling disconnect between the district’s rhetoric on inclusion and the outcomes experienced by multilingual learners. 

The Eliot K-8 Innovation School: An Ideal Model to Follow 

The first report of last night was a mandatory five-year update on the Eliot K-8 School Innovation Plan. Principal Traci Walker-Griffith described a school transformation centered on multi-tiered systems of support, flexible deployment of specialists, and project-based learning, computational thinking, and AI literacy. Coincidentally, the school department published a memo on AI policy that was not mentioned during the meeting. She emphasized that the success of the model lies not in unique resources, but in intentional systems, adult learning, and data-driven decision-making. These are tools that could be applied across the district if there is commitment to do so. 

Inclusive Education: Two Divergent Visions 

The most contentious portion of the meeting came during a joint presentation on services for students with disabilities. Superintendent Skipper reaffirmed the district’s commitment to inclusive education as part of the now-concluded DESE Systemic Improvement Plan.

But Edith Bazile, Chair of the Boston Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SpEdPAC), offered a starkly different assessment. She argued that BPS lacks a clear inclusion strategy, a defined timeline, and a dedicated budget. Instead of expanding successful inclusive models, she noted, the district is closing them, including nationally recognized programs like Henderson Upper School. Families, she said, were excluded from meaningful dialogue and often learned about decisions through the media.

Ms. Bazile also raised concerns about access to data, particularly data needed to assess outcomes for students with disabilities. She highlighted autism as a racial and gender equity issue, noting that nearly 80% of students with autism in BPS are male and that Black and Latino students make up the majority of these students. Inclusion, she argued, must be measured by outcomes and the district has not provided sufficient data to evaluate its own practices. Notably, what was framed as a joint presentation often felt like a public debate, revealing deep misalignment between Kay Seale, Director of Special Education for BPS, and parent advocates. The contrast raised serious concerns about communication, trust, and whether the district’s vision for inclusion is shared. 

Conversation with a Former Committee Member: 

Lastly, we had the opportunity to speak with former School Committee member Brandon Cardet-Hernandez. Ross and Jill asked Mr.Cardet-Hernandez to reflect on his role on the Committee as well as his take on certain issues impacting BPS. More specifically, Member Cardet-Hernandez spoke about the recent decision relating to the Madison Park rebuild, how failure of the district to adhere to MassCore requirements, as well as a number of other topics. 

Here at the Shah Foundation, our team put together a deep-dive into both the renovation of Madison Park, the state of MassCore completion, and the aforementioned budget gap. To gain a clearer grasp of the district’s budget concerns, please click here. To learn more about Madison Park, please click here, and to better understand how students in BPS are handling MassCore, please click here. 

The next meeting will be on February 4th at 5:30pm. We look forward to connecting with you then!