Boston School Committee Rates Skipper "Proficient," Clearing Path for Contract Renewal

BOSTON — June 17, 2025 — Boston School Committee presents Superintendent Mary Skipper with a "proficient" evaluation, triggering contract renewal talks. Vice Chair Michael O'Neill, standing in for absent committee member Dr. Lcomte Alkins who led the evaluation process, presented the summative rating at the June 17 meeting, reporting that Skipper scored an average of 4.0 out of 5 across all four state evaluation standards — her highest numerical score in three years. The committee cited a transportation on-time rate at a five-year high of 94 percent, school air conditioning coverage rising from 32 to 92 percent, and 100 percent adoption of high-quality instructional materials as operational strengths, while flagging persistent achievement gaps for Black and Latino students and nearly 4,000 outstanding facilities work orders. The committee also approved $3,559,303 in grants, renewed Boston Green Academy's charter through 2031, authorized Urban Achievers High School to open as a private school in Roxbury, and received a preliminary data presentation on possible changes to exam school admissions, including a 7 percent drop in Black student invitation rates that presenters said requires further study before any policy recommendation is made this fall. Member Chantelle Lima-Barboza announced her resignation, effective after July's meeting, saying a new opportunity requires her to leave Boston.