BOSTON — There was a time when a record-high graduation rate would've been cause for celebration in Boston. But behind the numbers BPS touted last month is a district hemorrhaging money, losing students, and producing test scores that suggest the diplomas aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Now Boston Public Schools is asking for $1.7 billion — its biggest budget yet — as the School Committee prepares to vote today. One in three students in the district doesn't speak English. Fewer than 10 percent of them can pass state reading and math exams.

The district spends roughly $34,000 per student and has less to show for it than at any point in recent memory. Across the board, only about four in ten 10th graders meet expectations on the MCAS.

Enrollment has been falling for years, from over 60,000 to around 47,000. The only thing that slowed the bleeding was a wave of roughly 3,000 multilingual learners between 2020 and 2024 — students who masked what would have been continued decline. Without them, the numbers look even worse.

And yet — graduation rates have never been higher.

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A recent City Journal investigation found the district banned failing grades, hired $120,000 "equity grading" consultants, and scrapped testing requirements before taking a victory lap over those graduation numbers. Low-income students saw grad rates climb 12 percent between 2017 and 2025 while their math scores dropped 5 percent. Non-English speaking students? Graduation up 21 percent. Math scores down 13 percent.

The $53 million deficit breaks down like this: $17 million in healthcare overruns, $17 million in salaries and benefits, and $13 million in transportation — all presented to the School Committee in December.

For the last few years, officials papered over shortfalls like these with federal COVID relief money — about $20 million from the ESSER fund. That money was required to be spent by September 2024. It's gone.

Now the district is planning to cut hundreds of staff, including teachers and paraprofessionals. School closures are on the table.

Mayor Michelle Wu, who has been busy spending on immigrant services, hasn't publicly addressed the shortfall.

Superintendent Mary Skipper has called high school math and English "areas for continued focus."

The vote is today.

Correction: This article has been updated to properly credit City Journal, whose investigation provided the findings on BPS graduation rates and grading policies.

Boston schools seek $1.7 billion as test scores fall to lowest levels in years — with one in three students now non-English speaking

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