Massachusetts
Here are the top Massachusetts high schools, according to US News & World Report – The Boston Globe
Massachusetts had the highest percentage of high-ranking public high schools nationally, according to US News and World Report’s latest rankings, with Boston Latin School and the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley leading the way.
The annual rankings evaluated more than 17,600 public high schools on factors such as college readiness, college curriculum, results on state assessments, the performance of students who are Black, Hispanic, and from low-income households, and graduation rate, according to the publication.
Boston Latin School placed 27th on the list — up from its 50th position last year when it was also named the state’s top high school. Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School ranked 100th nationally.
The rankings from US News and World Report have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, particularly at the university level. Some have complained that the ranking system places outsized influence on criteria that reflect wealth or level of prestige. Harvard and Yale Law schools have refused to participate, and critics have recommended that the rankings be taken with a grain of salt.
US News has defended its rankings. At the high school level, they “offer a starting point for parents to understand a school’s academic performance, whether it’s a prospective school or one that their child is already attending,” LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at US News, said in a press release.
“Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future,” Jones said.
Massachusetts had the largest proportion of its high schools ranked in the top 25 percent nationally, at about 44 percent. It was followed by Connecticut with 43 percent and New Jersey with 42 percent.
Other top-ranked schools in Massachusetts included: Lexington High School (192nd nationally), Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough (228th nationally), Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis (235th nationally), John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury (236th nationally), Hopkinton High School (250th nationally), Dover-Sherborn Regional High School (288th nationally), Boston Latin Academy (308th nationally), and Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (319th nationally).
In the category of state assessment performance, which was derived from math, reading, and science test scores, overall results were compared with what US News “predicted for a school with its demographic characteristics in its state.” Schools that exceeded their expectations scored higher.
“In all 50 states, there is a very significant statistical relationship between the proportion of a student body that is Black, Hispanic and/or from a low-income household — defined as being eligible for free or subsidized school lunch — and a school’s results on state assessments,” according to the publication.
Maine and Oklahoma did not grant permission to use their schools’ scores on Advanced Placement exams in the rankings, “which means schools in these states that administered AP exams were not able to be fully credited on their college readiness,” according to the publication.
See the list of rankings below.
Top 10 high schools in the nation:
- BASIS Peoria (Arizona)
- Signature School (Indiana)
- Tesla STEM High School (Washington)
- Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (Pennsylvania)
- Payton College Preparatory High School (Illinois)
- The School for the Talented and Gifted (Texas)
- Academic Magnet High School (South Carolina)
- International Academy of Oakland (Minnesota)
- Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (Georgia)
- Riverside Stem Academy (California)
Top 5 charter schools in the nation:
- BASIS Peoria (Arizona)
- Signature School (Indiana)
- Haas Hall Bentonville (Arkansas)
- Basis Oro Valley (Arizona)
- Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science (New Mexico)
Top 5 magnet schools in the nation:
- Tesla STEM High School (Washington)
- Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (Pennsylvania)
- The School for the Talented and Gifted (Texas)
- Academic Magnet High School (South Carolina)
- International Academy of Macomb (Minnesota)
Top 5 STEM schools in the nation:
- High Technology High School (New Jersey)
- BASIS Peoria (Arizona)
- BASIS Chandler (Arizona)
- The Early College at Guilford (North Carolina)
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Virginia)
Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts RMV under fire after illegal immigrant trucker kills state trooper
Following the tragic death of a Pennsylvania state trooper, Gov. Maura Healey is being asked to urge the state RMV to conduct an immediate review of all commercial driver’s licenses issued in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts House Republicans are calling for the audit to include a scan of non-domiciled CDLs, as the Bay State already faces federal heat for issuing a commercial driver’s license to the suspect, a Haitian illegal immigrant.
The review would “determine whether any current license holders are facing any pending suspensions, revocations, or other outstanding issues,” GOP leadership wrote in a letter to the governor this week.
Michael Bon, a 33-year-old Haitian living illegally in Brockton, has been charged with killing Michael Pahira, a 44-year-old state trooper, in a fiery crash on July 1 in Schuylkill County, Penn.
The Department of Homeland Security has said that Bon has been in the country illegally since June 2025 and that the Massachusetts RMV had issued his CDL. But the RMV has pointed its finger at the federal government, arguing that Bon was eligible for and received a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license under federal standards at the time of his application in March 2025.
In their Wednesday letter, House Republicans requested that Healey direct the RMV to review all commercial driver’s licenses within 30 days and submit details to the state Joint Committee on Transportation and the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
The GOP stated that the review could ultimately lead to safer roads.
“Due to the most recent tragedy in Pennsylvania and the uptick in wrong-way driving accidents in our Commonwealth,” GOP leaders wrote, “we call on you to take immediate action on this request to protect motorists and pedestrians on Massachusetts roadways and to ensure that the Commonwealth is in line with current federal roadway safety standards.”
A governor’s spokesperson deferred a Herald request for comment to the RMV.
An RMV spokesperson told the Herald Friday night that the agency is “preparing a thorough response to the letter.”
“We are confident that our programs for issuing commercial driving credentials,” the spokesperson said, “which are subject to annual review by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, are compliant with federal law.”
Bon arrived in the U.S. in early July 2024 as a parolee at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
That October, he filed an application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Biden administration, which ultimately was never granted. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the federal government to end TPS for Haitian nationals earlier this month.
DHS has said that USCIS terminated Bon’s parole on June 13, 2025. Despite that, Bon has allegedly refused to leave the country and has remained in the U.S. illegally, settling in Brockton.
The RMV has described Pahira’s death as a “horrific and terrible tragedy,” calling for Bon to be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
At the same time, the agency has said that the non-domiciled CDL program is under federal purview, arguing Bon was “ruled eligible based on the Trump administration database and allowed to drive by federal law and Trump administration policies.”
Bon applied to renew his CDL in February 2026 and was again approved, the RMV has said, adding that he would not have been approved if he applied for renewal next year. The Trump administration implemented a new rule on March 16 directing states not to renew or issue new non-domiciled CDLs.
“These restrictions,” the House GOP wrote in its letter to Healey, “coupled with the reinstatement last year of federal English-language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers to ensure that they can read and understand traffic signs, represent ongoing efforts to enhance public safety on America’s roadways.”
The fiery crash happened on I-81 in Schuylkill County and resulted in Pahira’s death.
The Pennsylvania trooper was conducting a routine commercial inspection on another tractor-trailer at 7 a.m. on July 1. Authorities say both the tractor-trailer and Pahira’s police vehicle were pulled over on the right-hand shoulder of the highway.
Pahira had been speaking with the other driver, Walter Alfredo Reinoso, of New York, during the routine stop when Bon’s tractor-trailer suddenly veered into the right-hand shoulder and struck them.
ICE lodged a detainer request against Bon earlier this month. The illegal immigrant is being held in Schuylkill County Prison after failing to post his $700,000 bail.
At the federal level, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association – the largest national trade association representing small-business truckers and professional drivers – is demanding that Congress pass Dalilah’s Law to ensure that CDL holders are properly trained and meet safety standards, including proficiency in English.
Non-domiciled CDL holders are often unable to be vetted, whereas U.S. applicants have had their past 10 years of driving history reviewed.
“Had this legislation been previously signed into law,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer wrote in a Wednesday letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, “the driver responsible for Trooper Pahira’s death would not have been eligible to receive a CDL in the first place.”
Pa. State Police and WFMZ-TV photos
Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira Jr. was killed in a crash that police say was caused by Michael Bon, 33, of Brockton, Mass., who is in the country illegally. (Pa. State Police and WFMZ-TV photos)
Massachusetts
Free Ice Cream Deals In MA For National Ice Cream Day 2026: Cheap Eats
Several chains and local shops are marking the July 19 holiday with giveaways, rewards offers and limited-time discounts. Some offers require an app or loyalty account, and participation may vary by location.
Here are some deals for National Ice Cream Day in Massachusetts:
New City Microcreamery: The Massachusetts scoop shop is giving away a $25 gift card for National Ice Cream Day. To enter, customers must like the giveaway post, comment with a favorite New City flavor and follow the shop on Facebook and Instagram. You can find the post here.
Massachusetts
Noah Kahan Backs Massachusetts Bill Limiting Ticket Resale Prices
Following similar legislature in his native Vermont, singer-songwriter supports “The Great Divide Act” combating speculative tickets, resale fees, and more
Noah Kahan has thrown his support behind a new Massachusetts bill aimed at capping ticket resale prices.
Like other states in recent weeks — including Washington, D.C. just a day earlier — Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has announced “An Act Relative to Closing the Great Divide between Ticket Prices and Affordability” — or “The Great Divide Act,” named in part after Kahan’s latest LP — a bill that would limit ticket resales prices, bar speculative tiket sales, and cut down on some ticket fees.
Kahan, who previously backed a similar bill in his native Vermont and is fresh off four sold-out shows at Boston’s Fenway Stadium, appeared via video at Healey’s press conference Thursday.
“I heard about what you’re announcing today and I just wanted to let you know how excited I am about it,” Kahan said. “The artist community and fans will greatly benefit from limiting ticket scalping and the sales of speculative tickets. I love my fans and want to protect them however I can. Artists alone could not tackle the market manipulation of secondary resellers. So, thank you so much for making this a priority in Massachusetts.”
Under the proposed Great Divide Act, concert tickets on the secondary market would be capped at 110 percent of their original face value, and secondary ticket sites would similarly only be allowed to take a 10 percent cut of resold tickets.
In the aftermath of the World Cup games at Gillette Stadium, where “speculative tickets” — or sellers offering tickets they don’t actually have — resulted in hundreds of people getting turned away from the soccer games, the Great Divide Act will also aim at prohibiting the practice. “Far too many Massachusetts residents have experienced the pain of being excited to buy tickets to see their favorite singer or sports team, only to realize that resale prices and fees have driven up the cost to outrageous levels,” Healey said Thursday.
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