Key points
- BPS uses a home-based policy for kindergarten through grade 8: your address generates a choice list, and assignment runs through a lottery-style algorithm. High schools are citywide options.
- For 2027-2028, priority registration for K0, K1, K2 and grades 6, 7 and 9 runs January 5 to February 5, 2027; other grades register February 8 to April 2. Applicants in the January window have the best chance at a top choice.
- Registration needs two proofs of Boston residency from different categories, a birth record, immunizations and a recent physical.
- Exam schools admit at grades 7 and 9 using a composite of GPA (70%) and an assessment (30%); non-BPS applicants must complete residency verification by a deadline BPS announces by August 1.
Home-based assignment, citywide high schools
Boston Public Schools uses a home-based assignment policy for kindergarten through grade 8. BPS states that all of its 7-12 and 9-12 high schools remain citywide options for all students. A family’s home address determines which schools it may list, so the address on file matters from the first application.
If you move within Boston, update your address with BPS. For exam school applicants, the tier map page asks families who move to update their address at a Welcome Center as soon as possible.
How the choice list is built
According to BPS, each list includes every school within a one-mile radius of the home, plus, as needed, additional nearby schools that BPS adds under its assignment policy. Option schools may be added so every child can be offered a seat, and families may also choose citywide schools. BPS says most families will have between 10 and 14 options.
Assignment uses an algorithm that works like a lottery, and families are not guaranteed a top choice. BPS states that seats for K0 and K1 are limited and an assignment cannot be guaranteed. English learners can use schools on their home-based list as well as program options in their wider cluster, and a student with disabilities may be assigned to a program within the cluster where the student lives if the IEP calls for specific services. BPS publishes the cluster maps.
Registration rounds and where to register
As of October 2026, BPS says registration for the 2026-2027 school year is still open, and registration for 2027-2028 begins in early January. Register online at apply.avela.org/boston, or get help at one of the four BPS Welcome Centers or by phone at 617-635-9010.
| Grades (2027-2028) | Priority registration | Assignment notices |
|---|---|---|
| K0, K1, K2, 6, 7, 9 | January 5 to February 5, 2027 | March 31 (grade 7 notices mailed at the end of May) |
| All other grades | February 8 to April 2, 2027 | May 31 |
Documents BPS asks for
For 2027-2028, BPS lists the child’s original birth certificate, I-94 or passport (a passport requires a BPS Parent Affidavit), an up-to-date immunization record, a physical exam record from within the last year, a parent or guardian photo ID, and two proofs of Boston residency that are not from the same category. Age rules for 2027-2028: K0 age three, K1 age four and K2 age five, each on or before September 1, 2027.
- Utility bill (not water or cell phone) from the past 60 days
- Deed or mortgage payment from the past 60 days, or a property tax bill from the past year
- W-2 from the past year, or a pay stub from the past 60 days
- Bank or credit card statement from the past 60 days
- Letter from an approved government agency from the past 60 days
- Current lease, Section 8 agreement or BPS Landlord Affidavit from the past year
Exam schools under the November 2025 policy
BPS has three exam schools: Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School and the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. All three admit new students for grades 7 and 9, and O’Bryant also admits a small number in grade 10. The Boston School Committee approved a revised admissions policy on November 5, 2025, effective with invitations sent in spring 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle.
Under that policy, eligible applicants live in Boston (or are otherwise served by BPS), have a B or higher GPA in the required subjects, are enrolled in grade-level courses and complete the district’s assessment, which they may take twice. The composite score weighs GPA at 70% and the assessment at 30%, with 10 added points for students experiencing homelessness, in the care or custody of the Department of Children and Families, or living in Boston Housing Authority public housing. Twenty percent of seats at each school go by citywide rank, and in that round each student is considered only for their first-choice exam school; a student not invited in that round is then considered within their tier. The other 80% are divided evenly across four tiers of census tracts grouped by socioeconomic factors.
Students not currently in BPS must complete residency verification and the school choice process as part of admission, and BPS announces each year’s residency deadline by August 1 on its website. A family moving to Boston for a seventh- or ninth-grade application should check that date first.
The tier map is published for one admission year at a time; the current map applies only to 2026-2027, and census tracts are redrawn every ten years. It describes how invitations are distributed. It is not a basis for choosing a home, and we do not advise on it that way.
General information about Massachusetts public school rules, current as of the date shown. School assignment is decided and confirmed only by the school district. No listing, seller, landlord or real estate agent can guarantee that an address is assigned to a particular school or that a student will be enrolled or admitted anywhere. Confirm with the district’s registration office, and ask an attorney about contract questions.