The admissions policy for Boston’s prestigious exam schools is once again changing, after the school committee approved a proposal Wednesday evening that could result in fewer Black and Hispanic students earning spots.
Under the new policy, a fifth of open seats at the three schools will be offered to top-performing kids citywide, based on grades and test scores. Bonus points for applicants attending high-poverty schools will be eliminated, and extra points for kids without stable housing will be reduced.
The remaining 80% of open seats will be distributed as they are now: Applicants will vie for spots against other kids in their same socioeconomic tier based on grades and test scores.
“Even though I may not like all of the options that we have … we have to move forward,” said Boston Schools Committee Chairwoman Jeri Robinson, who voted in favor of the changes. “Stopping this process now only frustrates actual families for whom this will be a next step.”
The proposal is meant to simplify the policy for more “fair and equitable access to the exam schools,” Superintendent Mary Skipper said at the meeting. She said it can be “sometimes mathematically impossible” for an academically-qualified student to earn a coveted seat because of where they live in Boston.
The changes, which will apply to Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and the John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science, will eliminate bonus points for applicants coming from high-poverty schools, and reduce points for students who are homeless, live in public housing, or are in state custody. A fifth of seats at each school would be open to any qualifying student, regardless of socioeconomic considerations.
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