Boston City Council Holds Third BPS Budget Hearing on Inclusion and Multilingual Learners

BOSTON — April 17, 2026 — Boston City Council scrutinizes BPS inclusion and multilingual programs in third FY27 budget hearing. The Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by District 6 Councilor Ben Weber, convened April 17 at City Hall to review the Boston Public Schools FY27 budget, the third of three hearings with BPS leadership under docket numbers 0733 and 0740, both sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu. Deputy Superintendent of Academics Dr. Simone Wright reported that BPS expanded bilingual education by 42 percent in fewer than 24 months, growing from 8 to 14 programs, and that one in four high school students — 4,051 in total — are enrolled in career pathways. Wright also cited a 6 percentage point MCAS ELA gain in grade 7 and a 2.5 percentage point increase in the four-year graduation rate for students with disabilities in the first year of the district's inclusive education plan. A second afternoon panel covering mergers and closures was scheduled to follow.