Education on November 9, 2026

The Boston City Council Committee on Education held a November 9, 2026 hearing on docket 0277 concerning special education in Boston Public Schools (BPS). Parents, advocates, and former educators described barriers to inclusive education, inconsistent delivery of IEP services, shortages of paraprofessionals and other support staff, transportation problems, and gaps in transition services for students aging out at 22. They urged BPS to expand inclusive options, improve family participation and public reporting, and establish a task force. BPS reported increased early-childhood inclusion and cited the new Carter School building as enabling 25 additional students who might otherwise attend out-of-district placements to be served in BPS. The discussion also covered a completed external autism/ABA review whose findings had not been shared with the Special Education Parent Advisory Council; the chair requested that the report be provided to the council before its upcoming meeting and that it be included in recommendations. The chair committed to working toward an independent oversight task force and said the matter would remain in committee for further hearings.

BPS described special-education spending as approximately $500 million projected for the current year, compared with about $475 million the prior year; the CFO later gave an approximate $550 million spending breakdown, including about $290 million for direct staff, $40 million for contracted services, $10–11 million for administration, and $50 million in out-of-district tuition plus about $5 million for transportation. These figures were discussed as part of a request for clearer actual-spending and outcomes data. No contract award, RFP, vendor selection, procurement vote, or spending motion was identified. The council discussed an external audit and contracted services, but no related purchasing action was taken.