Boston Latin School admission process

[tooldude]

when I took the tests back then, there were like 2 chances to take the test to get into the exam schools. I first took it in the 6th grade and if people scored good on the test, they go to the exam schools the following year. if you didn't score well the first time, there is another chance to take it in the 8th grade and start going to the exam schools the following year. I think there might be a 3rd chance to take the test in the 9th grade but only to the o'bryant.

I know some people that doesn't live in Boston but used a boston address to register for the tests.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by tooldude

when I took the tests back then, there were like 2 chances to take the test to get into the exam schools. I first took it in the 6th grade and if people scored good on the test, they go to the exam schools the following year. if you didn't score well the first time, there is another chance to take it in the 8th grade and start going to the exam schools the following year. I think there might be a 3rd chance to take the test in the 9th grade but only to the o'bryant.

I know some people that doesn't live in Boston but used a boston address to register for the tests.

That last point is true but in no way should anyone be encouraged to try it. The City of Boston has always made it clear that its public schools are for Boston residents only and any student caught living in a suburb but attending BLS will be immediately expelled. I am not kidding either. There was an infamous case of two families that rented property in Boston but continued to live elsewhere while using the rental addresses as their children's addresses. Their children were expelled and not reinstated. The families sued the city but subsequently lost anyway. While working at Boston Latin Academy, BLS's sister school, I knew of a student who lived elsewhere as well and was kicked out after tenth grade and forced to enroll in his local suburban high school.

The City is ultra harsh on BLS and BLA for the sole reason that too many people want to send their children to these two schools. On the other hand, I have known kids that attended Dorchester High School, English High School, and other Boston district schools but lived elsewhere and were never caught or the authorities never even bothered to kick them out. Why? Because those schools are already suffering high attrition rates. In the distant past, I believe suburbanites could pay a fee proportional to the amount of yearly taxpayer money it would cost per student to enroll their child in a Boston Public School. At the time, many other high schools like Boston English were stellar performers, even outperforming their suburban peers. Not anymore.

I know, I know. We have a program called METCO that allows city kids to attend suburban schools but how come we don't have a program that allows suburban kids to attend city schools? Again, for the reason that parents would only choose the exam schools because all other district high schools in Boston are terrible compared to suburban schools.

[tooldude]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

That last point is true but in no way should anyone be encouraged to try it. Again, for the reason that parents would only choose the exam schools because all other district high schools in Boston are terrible compared to suburban schools.

oh no I'm not encouraging anything. Isn't Snowden International High in the back bay a very good boston public high school right after all 3 exam schools?