Boston Focus, 5.29.26

Another year, more empty seats: enrollment declines in Boston and MA

New state data reports that Boston and Massachusetts school enrollment - public and private - declined again in 2025-2026. This is not a new trend, with posted drops in 7 of the past 10 years.

The totals are only part of the story.

In Boston, charter enrollment increased considerably, nearly doubling and then maintaining consistency through and after the pandemic.

Similar story for charters at the state level, as well big bumps in homeschooling and CTE schools (reported as the more common “vocational” term).

Fewer kids. And more of them enrolling in alternative options.

Public school enrollment decline tends to get more attention, and this data should be concerning for Boston. As noted in the past, the total figure in this report may be low compared to day one 2026-2027 enrollment, but it is likely accurate in direction and scale. Year-over-year, that means at least ~1,700 fewer BPS students next year.

But the decline in private school enrollment is actually more statistically significant. Since the state first started first collecting and publishing this data, private school enrollment in Massachusetts has fallen by nearly 41%.

This long-term drop does not mirror anecdotes or short-term trends. To clarify, it does not appear Massachusetts families have left public schools for private schools, even if someone’s neighbor in Newton did during COVID. There are just fewer kids, and fewer of those kids enrolling in both of those sectors.

There are many factors impacting public school enrollment, while supply and affordability seem to have affected private schools. Nationally, Catholic elementary school costs have remained consistent and low, but the sector significantly contracted. Meanwhile, non-religious private school price tags exploded.

This week, a group of Massachusetts legislators publicly urged Governor Healey to opt into the federal scholarship tax credit program. In addition to creating additional funds for public school students, the program also would create local scholarship granting organizations for private school students; all of this is funded via donations claimed as a federal tax credit (up to $1,700).

Studies indicate that public funding boosts private school enrollment. Will add to our total, attracting and retaining more students in Massachusetts schools in total? Or, is the math still zero sum, and demand for public alternatives or private options means fewer students in traditional public schools?

There are no easy answers when Massachusetts schools are still swimming against the tide of demography.

Schools

Are recent contract increases leading to teacher layoffs in Massachusetts?

The picture in Boston is murky. Since the year prior to the pandemic, the BPS budget’s salaried costs have increased by $385M.

Looks big, until you consider the entire BPS budget increase during that time (nearly $600M).

The share of personnel costs has only bumped up slightly. Is a mere 0.65% the blame for 400 layoffs? Unclear, but in a tightening fiscal climate, even small percentages can trigger big trade-offs.

The valedictorian lunch at Fenway Park is a great annual tradition - and the best thing anyone will see at that park this season.

At least Boston has shot at winning best 4th grade math student this year.

~1 in 9 BPS students experienced homelessness last year.

A good case for policy-equivalents for court-ordered desegregation in MA. Which begs the question, do more White, wealthier families seek “good schools,” or are “good schools” a reflection of their concentration?

More data on how real estate divides students.

Regardless of background, American families are united in the assumption that their kids’ grades are right and tests are wrong.

National teacher union leadership has joined the call to scale back tech in schools. Here is a good summary of the at-times competing research on the effectiveness of cell phone bans in schools. Here is one Massachusetts school leader’s experience and opinion on implementing it.

But there is nothing schools can do about technology outside school. Buried in this story about teen sleep and school start times, is the finding that the average teenager spends nearly an hour on their phones when they should be asleep.

Other Matters

Can the worldwide decline in population be saved by faith alone?

What do sophisticated gamblers and corporate PACs both do? Hedge their bets. That is why online sports gambling outfits are donating ~$40K to unopposed Massachusetts House leadership while spending $200K on attack ads targeting an Illinois representative who championed online gambling reforms.

The message to politicians considering online gambling restrictions?

That’s a nice elected office you have there; would be a shame if something happened to it.