FAQs
Q: When you say "Boston", what neighborhoods exactly do you mean?
A: By "Boston" we mean kids living in neighborhoods like Dorchester, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Roxbury, Allston-Brighton, Jamaica Plain, Chinatown, Charlestown, East Boston, South Boston, West Roxbury, North End, South End, and Roslindale. So, for example, a student living in Milton or Brookline or Cambridge cannot necessarily attend any of the schools listed.
Q: When should I be looking at schools?
A: The most important time to look for a new school are: the year before your child enters kindergarten, the year before they enter 5th grade, the year before they enter 6th grade, and the year before they enter 9th grade. That's when you'll have the most choices. Be sure to check with each school for specific deadlines. It is important to begin looking in the fall.
Q: What is the purpose of this website?
A: This is a community service to help parents learn more about their school choices. We hope that parents can find the best school for their children.
Q: Where are the listing for the famous private schools?
A: Here is a partial list. This site, however, is designed for Boston parents who need free public schools or low-cost parochial schools.
Q: Why don’t you provide opinions or MCAS scores for each school?
A: Kids are different, so no one school can be perfect for everyone. Our purpose is to just to connect parents with basic information. Test score information can be found at www.doe.mass.edu, www.greatschools.net, www.schoolmatters.com, and www.just4kids.org
Q: Who created this website, and why?
Funding for this website was provided by The Boston Foundation.
This site was created by Michael Goldstein with the help of Justin Sallis. Michael is the founder of the MATCH Charter Public School, and a board member of Lee Academy Pilot School. MATCH School also collaborates with three Boston traditional district schools – Brighton High, Edwards Middle School, and English High. Justin Sallis is the Founder and Director of Boston’s Black Parent Alliance, a not-for-profit organization committed to encouraging families to "shop" for the right school.
Q: Where else can I find useful information about schools in Boston?
The Boston Public School website contains information about 145 out of the 228 school choices in this website – the traditional public schools, pilot schools, and exam schools.
- To learn about after school and weekend activities, visit BostNet.
- To learn more about the 20 pilot schools, visit the Pilot School Network.
- To learn about the Catholic schools, visit the Archdiocese website.
- To learn more about the 14 Boston charter public schools, visit the www.charterschoolsboston.com or the Massachusetts Department of Education.
- To learn more about Metco, visit their website or the Massachusetts Department of Education.
Q: I’m more interested in education policy than finding a specific school. Any ideas?
Check out the Rennie Center for Education Research, the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy, or The Boston Foundation's “Indicators Project“. For national issues, look at www.educationsector.org.