Mayor wu addresses the state of boston public schools

Tam Silverman

November 18th, 2025

As On the Same Page continues to campaign for an accessible library in the Beethoven Ohrenberger School, we have to pay major attention to the political climate that surrounds the schools here in Boston. Luckily, Mayor Wu did a condensed and accessible review of the state of Boston public schools in her 2025 State of the Schools Address. Here are some highlighted challenges, successes, and goals the greater Boston community faces recapped by Mayor Wu's recent speech.

To begin, Wu speaks to the state of the public school system in the Boston area. Here’s a quick selection of highlights from what Wu addressed during her speech: Mayor Wu starts with important acknowledgements, celebrating essential workers who help build Boston into the city it is today. She then moves into a call to action, prompting Boston community members to invest in the success of Boston schools. Wu speaks on the impact of the pandemic on the beginning of her school campaign. Under Superintendent Mary Skipper, Wu details how Boston District Schools have deployed a “clear, concise, and research-based strategy” to support educators and students alike. She proposes an example of progress, detailing how, after being in the bottom 10% of school districts, BPS has leapfrogged 28 of its districts in measurable ways in the last three years. Wu speaks to Boston’s constant scrutiny under the Trump administration and how she hopes to continue progress in the face of funding cuts. Some more achievements to note covered:

• 96% percent of buses arrive on time during September and October.

• 96% of school lunches are now prepared from scratch in-house.

• 60 new student gardens have been planted.

• 3 years ago, just ⅓ of BPS had air conditioning. Now, it’s 92% and counting.

• 16 bilingual programs created.

• BATA was created and established.

• NeXT program launched.

• Carter School reopened.

• Families can now register kids for school at GreatStarts. Boston.

• Boston pre-k now serves upwards of 5,000 families.

• Shift to hands-on, active learning in classrooms.

• Increases in student AP course engagement.

Wu then goes on to outline some of the goals her administration has in regards to furthering the success of BPS and the increase of after-school programming options for students. These after-school programs may also include tutoring options for younger students by juniors and seniors.

We here at On the Same Page celebrate Wu’s strides in Boston education, and we would like to acknowledge the parallel nature of our mission here and her progressive achievements. We’re looking forward to more positive changes within BPS as a whole!