Wu’s State of the Schools 2026: Five-Year Targets, More Hub Schools

Mayor Michelle Wu used her State of the Schools 2026 address on Monday night, Oct. 19, to promise five-year targets for Boston Public Schools, more community hub schools and new after-school and athletic offerings, while defending the district’s record against an advocacy campaign that says BPS is failing students. Wu spoke to hundreds of students, staff and guests at UMass Boston, The Boston Globe reported.

What Wu Announced at UMass Boston

The speech was the second annual address of its kind. The city had billed it as a chance for Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper to share district progress and outline academic and partnership priorities for the year, according to the City of Boston’s announcement. Skipper spoke first and said the school year was “about continuing to build on the strong foundation that we have created over the past four years,” the Globe reported.

The Globe reported that Wu made no major policy announcements but laid out plans to expand existing programs. Items she listed, according to the Globe and NBC10 Boston, included:

• Five-year targets, to be set soon, for attendance, test scores, coursework completion, early college preparation and school safety.
• A pledge that “by 2030, we will double the number of BPS high schoolers earning college credits and vocational industry certifications for free.”
• Opening Madison Park, the city’s vocational high school, to all high school students for after-school training.
• About 2,000 jobs for young people during this school year, which the Globe said is an increase over last year.
• Five more “community hub schools” by next year, a model in which dedicated staff connect students with local businesses, nonprofits and community groups.
• Expanded math clubs, a Spelling Bee in every eligible school, more student athletics in 2027 and free weekend sports, which NBC10 Boston described as for students 6-12.

Wu said the five-year goals will “help us direct resources where they’re needed most, hold ourselves accountable, and accelerate progress to excellence for every student.” The Globe noted that the district’s recently introduced Strategic Roadmap has been criticized for naming metrics without yet setting targets.

The Administration’s Case on Progress

Wu pointed to what she described as gains under her administration. “Last school year, BPS set the record for the highest graduation rate in our history,” she said, according to NBC10 Boston. The Globe reported that she also cited falling chronic absenteeism, record bus on-time performance and wider access to Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses.

Asked by NBC10 Boston about test scores after the speech, Wu said, “We are now outperforming all 10 of our peer districts, as designated by the state. We have leapfrogged dozens of other districts. We’re not where we want to be, but it shows remarkable progress.”

Wu also addressed federal policy. “Some might look at our community and see a target,” she said, according to the Globe. “And as Washington tries to cut our funding and make our families afraid, we are fiercely proud to see our schools on the rise.” The Globe reported that the federal immigration crackdown has affected the district’s enrollment.

Test Scores and the Critics’ Case

The Globe reported that state test scores remain well below 2019 levels, that racial gaps in college enrollment have widened, and that a recent report found that the more than 10,000 students at the city’s non-exam high schools miss more school, graduate on time less often and score lower on state tests than students at the exam schools.

The address followed a campaign by Next Chapter Boston, a group led by Mary Tamer and Vernée Wilkinson that has run billboards and streaming ads with the slogan “BPS is Failing Her.” WBUR reported that the campaign is budgeted at $1.5 million, that the MBTA removed its subway ads within about a day, citing its advertising guidelines, and that state data show 31% of Boston third graders met or exceeded reading proficiency on spring 2026 MCAS tests, compared with 43% statewide. In math, the figures were 30% for Boston and 42% statewide. A city spokesperson told WBUR that neither the city nor BPS had communicated with the MBTA about the ads, and called the campaign “both cynical and deeply unproductive.” In Monday’s speech, the Globe reported, Wu called the billboards cynical.

After the speech, Wilkinson told NBC10 Boston, “I’d like to see updates. I want to see charts. I want to see graphs. I want to know where we’re closing gaps.” Tamer said what was missing was an acknowledgment of, and a plan to address, what she called “widespread failure throughout the school system.”

What Comes Next for Boston Public Schools

The Globe reported that school leaders recently proposed a ban on personal electronic devices during the school day, covering cellphones, personal laptops and smartwatches. The proposal needs approval from the mayor-appointed school board and would not take effect until 2027. School consolidations and closures were largely left out of the speech, NBC10 Boston reported. Asked about them, Wu said that when schools are half empty or very small, “there are other creative changes that could help.”

Wu oversees a district of nearly 50,000 students, according to the Globe. Her first State of the Schools address was held last year at the Josiah Quincy Upper School in Chinatown. For background, see our preview of the 2026 address, our report on the City Council’s hearing on BPS English learner spending, and our look at the FY27 city budget and BPS costs.

Featured image: The UMass Boston campus on Columbia Point in Dorchester, where the 2026 State of the Schools address was held, November 2025. Photo by 4300streetcar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

Sources

• The Boston Globe: Wu pledges again to make Boston Public Schools the nation’s best (Oct. 19, 2026)
• NBC10 Boston: Boston State of the Schools address from Mayor Wu (Oct. 19, 2026)
• City of Boston: State of the Schools 2026 (Oct. 16, 2026)
• WBUR: Education group will try again after ads criticizing Boston schools pulled by MBTA (Oct. 9, 2026)