Boston, MA
Who got into Boston’s exam schools this fall? BPS offers an initial glimpse at the data – The Boston Globe
The success rate of applicants receiving invitations to attend Boston exam schools next fall varied widely based on the socio-economic conditions of where they live, according to data released by Boston Public Schools Wednesday night.
Overall, 976 applicants for the seventh grade out of a total of 1,348 received admission offers, which were sent out two weeks ago, while 440 applicants for the ninth grade out of a total of 666 got into Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and the O’Bryant School for Math and Science.
Students entering the exam schools this fall are the third group to be admitted under a three-year-old admission policy that aims to increase student diversity at the city’s exam schools, especially its flagship Latin School.
How were admission decisions made?
BPS divides applicants into eight tiers based on the socioeconomic conditions of where they live. Admission decisions are then made by tier based on grades and standardized test scores. Many applicants also receive up to 10 bonus points if they attend a high-poverty school, or 15 points if they are homeless, live in certain public housing, or are in the care of the state Department of Children and Families.
The policy, which aims to increase the racial, socio-economic and geographic diversity of those admitted, has led to great variation in outcomes per tier depending upon the number of applicants received.
Wednesday night’s data did not include a demographic breakdown by race, ethnicity, or income status —that is expected to be released in the coming weeks as part of a more comprehensive data analysis.
How did admission offers vary by tier?
In tier 1, where the greatest concentration of low-income students reside, all 115 applicants for grade seven received an admission offer to one of the exam schools. In tier 8, where there were 270 applicants for grade seven — the most of any tier — 45 percent, or 123 applicants, got in.
In grade 9, where the applicant pool is much smaller, only 55 applicants in each tier received admission offers, although the number of applicants per tier varied. Tier 3 had the lowest number of applicants with 75 and tier 8 had the largest number of applicants, 99.
How did the composite score vary by tier?
Not surprisingly, there were big differences in average composite scores among the applicants who received invitations.
In tier 8, the most competitive tier, seventh-grade applicants who got into Latin School had an average composite score of 98.8; for Latin Academy it was 97.1; for the O’Bryant, it was 96.5. Tier 8 had the highest average composite scores across the board.
By contrast, seventh-grade applicants in tier 1 had an average composite score of 80.5 for Latin School; 65.6 for Latin Academy; and 64.6 for the O’Bryant. Tier 1 had the lowest average composite score for Latin School and Latin Academy and the second lowest for the O’Bryant.
For grade 9, composite scores for applicants receiving invitations to Latin School ranged from 100 in tier 6 to 93.7 in tier 3; for Latin Academy the average composite score ranged between 97.6 in tier 8 to 85.7 in tier 3; and for the O’Bryant it ranged between 89.2 in tier 8 and 70.2 in tier 5.
Any thing more about the bonus points?
BPS revamped its distribution of bonus points this year for applicants who attend high-poverty schools. For the past two years, all applicants from those schools received 10 bonus points, which proved problematic in tiers with the stiffest competition that made it difficult or impossible for applicants with no bonus points to get into exam schools.
Under the new system, bonus points for seventh- and ninth-grade applicants ranged between 2 points in tier 8 to 10 points in tier 2. More than 60 percent of seventh-grade applicants in tier 8 received bonus points while more than 90 percent did in tier 2.
Why doesn’t BPS expand exam schools?
The School Committee raised that question Wednesday night. Both Chair Jeri Robinson and member Brandon Cardet-Hernandez wondered whether BPS could create satellite campuses for the exam school’s junior high programs in an effort to increase capacity.
“It is heartbreaking year after year to seek kids who have the qualifications and desire to go to a school or schools that they cannot go to when we know we have other schools that are struggling and the goal is to move all of our students into high-performing seats,” Robinson said.
Superintendent Mary Skipper and Mayor Michelle Wu had proposed adding about 400 seats to the O’Bryant as part of last year’s plan to relocate that school to a would-be renovated facility in West Roxbury, but that proposal fell apart this winter amid community opposition.
James Vaznis can be reached at james.vaznis@globe.com. Follow him @globevaznis.
Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals
Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals LIVE GAME: Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals look to seize control of thrilling Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals. Every team in the Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals has two wins apiece as we go into the final two game weeks. Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals will host Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals at Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals Park Stadium with the Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals a single point ahead of Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals in the standings and just one behind leaders Boston Legacy FC vs Utah Royals.
Gray, acquired in a November trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of Boston’s key rotation additions, along with Ranger Suarez, in the offseason. He was 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 2025.
“He’s very specific about his work. Every day has a purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gray. “Two hundred strikeouts, that’s something that we were looking for. The competitor. Every five days, this guy is going to give you everything.”
In his five career appearances against the Reds, Gray is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA.
“It’s pretty much one of the only things that is continuing to push me, is to get to a World Series, to win a World Series, to pitch in big games,” said Gray. “I love the moment, and I am chasing that moment.”
Here’s the preview:
RED SOX (1-0): TBA
Pitching: RHP Sonny Gray
REDS (0-1): TBA
Pitching: RHP Brady Singer
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Singer: Wilyer Abreu 2-5, Roman Anthony 1-2, Willson Contreras 2-7, Jarren Duran 3-10, Caleb Durbin 0-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 6-16, Marcelo Mayer 0-1, Andruw Monasterio 1-4, Carlos Narváez 1-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 1-5, Trevor Story 0-4, Connor Wong 2-8, Masataka Yoshida 2-7
Reds vs. Gray: Will Benson 0-5, Elly De La Cruz 5-11, TJ Friedl 1-8, Ke’Bryan Hayes 4-17, Nathaniel Lowe 2-10, Noelvi Marte 0-5, Matt McLain 2-2, Spencer Steer 4-9, Tyler Stephenson 0-8, Eugenio Suárez 7-13, Jose Trevino 0-2
Stat of the day: Sal Stewart become the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 to record three hits on Opening Day.
Notes: Cincinnati sends righthander Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 in 2025) to the mound … With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo already on the injured list to start the season, Singer is considered one of Cincinnati’s most durable pitchers, leading the Reds with 32 starts last season … Singer has made five career starts against Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings … His last appearance against the Red Sox, on July 1 in Boston, ended after just three innings when he allowed two earned runs on three hits.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.
Nearly three months since assuming office as mayor of Everett, Massachusetts, Mayor Robert Van Campen isn’t wasting any time.
The former city councilor ousted 18-year incumbent Carlo DeMaria in decisive fashion last November, but even so, issues surrounding his predecessor still linger at City Hall.
A state-led salary audit of DeMaria found $180,000 in overpayment, a finding the former mayor disputes. Van Campen says the city is monitoring ongoing investigations.
“What I’ve conveyed to my partners in government here, locally, is to allow that state process to play itself out, and then we, as a community, will make a decision,” the mayor said. “In addition to that, I recently met with Inspector General Jeff Shapiro, who visited me at City Hall. We had a great conversation about transparency in government, best practices, putting in the right systems to ensure that that type of financial oversight doesn’t happen in the future.”
Beyond the audit, Van Campen is placing emphasis on school overcrowding.
“My objective is to try to implement solutions as quickly as I can,” he said. “Our high school today, which was built for I think 1,650 students, now houses around 2,200.”
The World Cup is creating buzz across Massachusetts, including in Everett, where the Kraft Group is looking to build a soccer stadium.
To alleviate that problem, the mayor is using federal ARPA funds to repair the old Everett High School and seeking out other spaces that could be used in the future.
“Would I like to build out new classroom space for the students of Everett in the next one to two years? Yes, that’s my ideal,” Van Campen said. “But I want to make sure that if we do it on a quick timeline, it’s done in a correct and proper fashion.”
Also in focus for the mayor is a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution on the shores of the Mystic River.
The Kraft Group, Boston, Everett and the state Legislature have all taken steps to make the project a reality, but Van Campen says there’s still more work to do.
“It’s a transformative project, it’s a breathtaking project,” said Van Campen. “But I’ve been clear with all the stakeholders around that project, and the other larger developments going on down there, that we have to make sure that transit issues are comprehensively addressed, that pedestrian access issues are comprehensively addressed, that all those issues have to be addressed to perfection in order for these projects to succeed.”
Tune in on Sunday, March 29 at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Van Campen.
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