Boston School Committee Approves $2.2 Million in Grants, Previews Exam School Overhaul

BOSTON -- September 10, 2025, Boston School Committee opens school year with $2.2 million in grants and exam school debate. The committee unanimously approved 11 grants at its September 10 meeting, led by a $1.4 million federal Perkins career and technical education allocation serving 3,300 students at 14 schools, along with a $360,000 adolescent health grant covering 23,000 students in 65 schools. The committee also welcomed new member Rachel Skerritt, a former Boston Latin School headmaster appointed by Mayor Michelle Wu, who attended the meeting to praise record-high school bus on-time performance, 84 percent in the morning, two points above any prior year on the same date, and the district's first-ever 100-percent rollout of district-approved instructional materials. Superintendent Mary Skipper reported chronic absenteeism has declined for the fourth consecutive year, with a cumulative 10-percentage-point drop, and that 96 percent of teacher and counselor positions are filled. The meeting's sharpest debate came during a report on the five-year review of exam school admissions policy, where Dr. Colin Rose and Monica Hogan presented community feedback on three simulations, all removing school-based points, as public commenters including 2021 task force researcher Roseanne Tung argued the proposed changes would reduce invitation rates for Black, Latino, and economically disadvantaged students; the committee is set to vote on a superintendent's recommendation at its September 25 meeting.