BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNVEILS TRANSFORMATIVE, STUDENT-FOCUSED BUDGET

The FY2025 BPS Budget includes a historic $81 Million investment from the City

BOSTON -- Wednesday, February 7, 2024 --  Superintendent Mary Skipper today presented the student-focused, innovative FY2025 Boston Public Schools (BPS) budget before the Boston School Committee. The $1.5 billion proposal combines new initiatives and deeper investments to transform all BPS schools to support inclusive education opportunities, emphasize a team-based teaching approach, and shift the BPS physical footprint to better support the High-Quality Student Experience, which includes prioritizing rigorous academics, social-emotional supports for students, Early College and Career Pathways for secondary students, Community Hub schools, and extracurricular activities. To achieve this goal, 94% of expenditures in the FY2025 Budget will be allocated for student services. 

Through a months-long collaborative process with a team of parents, teachers, school leaders, and community partners, BPS is reimagining funding, with a transition budget that is moving in a new direction to build a sustainable budget that meets the current and future needs of BPS students, a much-needed departure from the weighted student funding model. This hard work will lay a foundation for BPS to invest in priority areas. As BPS takes on long-needed and critical changes in literacy, inclusive education, and multilingual and secondary education, the district is determined to deliver on the promise of educational equity and excellence for every student.

"The budget is a statement of our values," said Superintendent Mary Skipper. "I truly believe  we have a unique opportunity to put our students first by looking at the actual needs in schools across the district, with a particular focus on our Black and Brown students, special education, and multilingual learners with and without disabilities."

BPS is incredibly fortunate to have the continued support of Mayor Wu and the City of Boston. Her message was clear: to build a better future, Boston Public Schools must ensure our students have access to quality learning opportunities every day. Improving access and quality will take major investments, and Mayor Wu's historic budget increase of $81 million in BPS will make a difference in the lives of countless young people in Boston at a time when ESSER dollars are going away.

"This year's budget marks an important shift in how we are educating our young people, emphasizing inclusive education and team-based learning to better serve our students' needs," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I am so grateful to the Superintendent, our school leaders, teachers, and all the staff who work every day to empower our students and families. With these transformational investments, we are putting our students and their learning first."

Through this proposed budget, BPS is investing in inclusive educational opportunities, rigorous and culturally affirming learning experiences, a supportive network of caring adults, wellness, enrichment, and more. These investments will ensure Boston’s young people have the tools they need to succeed in the classroom and life.

"This historic budget will be transformative for my students and young people across Boston," said Leslie Gant, Principal at the Joesph P. Tynan Elementary School. "I am proud to work in a city and in a District that has such a student-focused, forward-thinking budget that prioritizes a high-quality student experience, career pathways, and inclusive education."

Boston Public Schools also is deepening its investment in equitable literacy strategy and expanding early college and career pathways programming to help students earn the college credits they need to graduate and make their dreams a reality. BPS' partners, particularly the Boston Teachers Union, will be crucial in the mission to create learning environments where all students feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. 

For more information, please visit the BPS Budget Office Website.

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