Boston City Council rejects MCAS resolution in near-unanimous vote

BOSTON — July 10, 2024 — Boston City Council defeats resolution backing MCAS graduation requirement in a near-unanimous 1-9-2 vote. Councilor Erin J. Murphy sponsored Docket 1135, arguing that fewer than 30 percent of BPS third graders read on grade level and that eliminating the MCAS as a graduation requirement would strip the district of a critical accountability tool; she was the sole yes vote. Councilors Julia M. Mejia, Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Benjamin J. Weber, and Council President Ruthzee Louijeune all spoke against the resolution, stressing that November's ballot measure would eliminate only the graduation requirement, not the exam itself, and that standardized testing disproportionately disadvantages students of color and English learners. The council separately adopted, unanimously and under suspension of rules, a resolution by Councilor Edward M. Flynn demanding reinstatement of the Community Syringe Redemption Program, which collected roughly 1.8 million syringes in its final year before its ARPA funding expired in June, and a resolution by Councilor Brian Worrell supporting state cannabis labor-peace legislation already enacted in six other states. The council also passed four arts grants totaling $700,000 to fund the BPS Sundays museum-access program and referred hearing orders on capital-budget transparency, crossing-guard recruitment to fill 51 vacancies, and alternative sidewalk materials for tree-root damage.