Boston Public Schools

• Nathan Bishop (1851–1856)
• John Dudley Philbrick (1856–1878)
• Samuel Eliot (1878–1880)
• Edwin P. Seaver (1880–1904)
• George H. Conley (1904–1906)
• Stratton D. Brooks (1906–1912)
• Maurice P. White (1912–1912) Acting
• Dr. Franklin B. Dyer (1912–1918)
• Frank V. Thompson (1918–1921)
• Jeremiah E. Burke (1921–1931)
• Patrick T. Campbell (1931–1937)
• Arthur L. Gould (1937–1948)
• Dr. Dennis C. Haley (1948–1960)
• Dr. Frederick Gillis (1960–1963)
• Dr. William Ohrenberger (1963–1972)
• William J. Leary (1972–1975)
• Marion Fahey (1975–1978)
• Robert Coldwell Wood (1978–1980)
• Paul Kennedy (1980–1981) Acting'
• Robert R. Spillane (1981–1985)[11]
• Dr. Laval S. Wilson (1985–1991)
• Lois Harrison-Jones (1991–1995)
• Dr. Thomas W. Payzant (1995–2006)
• Michael G. Contompasis (2006–2007) Interim
• Dr. Carol R. Johnson (2007–2012)
• John McDonough (2012–2015) Interim
• Dr. Tommy Chang (2015–2018)
• Laura Perille (2018–2019) Interim
• Dr. Brenda Cassellius (2019–present)

The segregated state of Boston’s neighborhoods, and school districts, that prompted bussing were the direct result of redlining’s unique effects on the city. In most other American cities, redlining had prompted large amounts of white flight to the suburbs. However, unlike those cities, at the time Boston’s white population was still composed heavily of immigrant and 1st generation families, the vast majority of which either lacked the means or desire to leave the city. As a result, redlining in Boston saw the creation of neighborhoods that were for the most part equally economically disadvantaged but racially imbalanced.

Subsequently, by the time of forced bussing came to be in 1974 the majority of the white population were lower-middle and lower-class second-generation blue-collar nuclear families who were heavily reliant on public amenities and infrastructure. Neighborhood schools were the heart and soul of this infrastructure and cornerstone of the family-centered way of life for white families in Boston. The schools acted as the main source of neighborhood pride and created a rich sense of shared identity that was optimized by the blue-collar nuclear family way of life and struggle to success culture that had come to characterize Boston’s immigrant descendent heavy white neighborhoods at the time.

Equally economically disadvantaged, the African American communities were heavily reliant on Boston’s public amenities and infrastructure as well. However, due to the racial bias and corrupt oversight the infrastructure of Boston’s African American neighborhoods paled in comparison to that offered in primarily white communities.[14] This inequality was nowhere more appalling or evident than in the Neighborhood schools. In many cases, the understaffed and poorly funded schools were forced to teach with small quantities of outdated reading material and textbooks, as well as carefully rationed school supplies such as pencils, collecting them at the end of the day to ensure they would have enough. This lack of funding and support for the African American neighborhood schools was a result of the lack of proper and equal allocation of funding between white and black school districts within the Boston public school system. This primarily resulted from the racially prejudice all-white Boston public schools committee that wouldn’t end up integrating until 1977 with the election of John D. O’Bryant[15] almost three full years after forced bussing had begun.

As a direct result of this infrastructure imbalance when integration was instituted and forced bussing began the two communities reacted almost conversely.[16] The African American communities although somewhat upset about losing the convenience of the local neighborhood schools welcomed the change with open arms hoping that it would force the school committee to fund all the schools with greater equality than in the past and that it would allow their children to gain a better education in the meantime.[17] Unfortunately, almost all of the white communities saw bussing as an inconvenience and a threat to what little privilege they still had as lower-class whites rather than seeing it as an opportunity for greater equality. As a result, when school began, on September 12th 1974, many white families refused to send their kids to school and whole neighborhoods engaged in racially charged riots during which many enacted acts of violence such as throwing rocks, flipping police cars, and even attacking African Americans who happened to be driving or passing by at the time.[18] The violence and rioting continued until October of the same year when the National Guard was brought in to quell the violence.

In September 2006 the district won the Broad Prize for Urban Education. The national prize, sponsored by philanthropist Eli Broad, includes $500,000 in college scholarships to graduates from the winning district. In most years since the prize program began in 2002, Boston has been a finalist, earning $125,000 in scholarships each year.

Boston Public Schools (BPS) operates schools throughout the city of Boston. BPS assigns students based on preferences of the applicants and priorities of students in various zones.[20]

Since 1989, the city has broken the district into three zones for elementary- and middle-school students. High schoolers can choose any school throughout the city, since they can ride public transportation.[21] Due to the geography of East Boston, for all grade levels each child in East Boston is guaranteed a seat at a school in East Boston.[20]

In 2013, the Boston School Committee voted to begin a new school choice system for the 2014-15 school year and beyond. The new plan, called "Home-Based," measures schools through a combination of MCAS scores and growth, which are grouped in four tiers. Every family has at least two schools within the top tier, four in the top half of performance, and six in the top 75%. Families also are able to list any school within one mile of their home. The plan was first approved by an External Advisory Committee made up of parents, academic experts and community leaders. It was developed by an academic team from Harvard and MIT, which volunteered for the project after hearing about the community process in 2012. The District launched a website,[22] to help the community follow the process and contribute.

These schools offer programs starting at either age 3 (K0) or age 4 (K1) and ending in either the first or third grade.

• Baldwin Early Learning Center (Pilot)
• East Boston Early Education Center
• Ellison/Parks Early Education School
• Haynes Early Education Center
• West Zone Early Learning Center

• Edwards Middle School
• Frederick Middle School (Pilot)
• Irving Middle School
• James P. Timilty Middle School
• McCormack Middle School
• Middle School Academy (Alternative school)
• Rogers Middle School
• UP Academy Charter School of Boston

• Dearborn STEM Academy
• Henderson Upper School
• Josiah Quincy Upper School (Pilot)
• TechBoston Academy

• Carter Development Center
• Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Dr. William W. Henderson K-12 Inclusion School

The following schools serve students in grades 7–12 and admit students based on their grades and the Independent School Entrance Examination.

• John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics & Science
• Boston Latin School
• Boston Latin Academy

• David Farragut School, K-5, established in 1904 and closed in 2011
• Dorchester High School
• Hyde Park High School
• Odyssey High School (Now Boston Green Academy)
• Roxbury Memorial High School (Now Boston Latin Academy)
• South Boston High School (Now Excel South Boston High School)
• West Roxbury Education Complex