Pilot Public Schools

There are 20 Pilot Schools in the BPS, serving over 6,000 students. Any family can apply as long as they live in Boston. Most Pilot Schools admit students through a random lottery like charter schools, with a few exceptions: Fenway High requires essays, Boston Arts Academy requires auditions.

Pilot Schools are part of the Boston Public School system, but they have more flexibility. That is they have the Freedom to decide which teachers to hire, how to set their budget and calendar, and how to “organize staffing to best meet students’ needs.”

The Center for Collaborative Education has produced guides on “how pilot schools function, how they are unique, what is involved in creating a pilot school, advice, case histories, data, tools, and much more.” You can also get a copy of the 100+ page book, the first in a series called The Essential Guide to Pilot Schools, via the form here.

The Center explains: “Pilot Schools place great emphasis on creating a nurturing school culture in which teachers attend closely to each student’s learning needs. Only two of 20 Pilot Schools have more than 500 students, and both of them are organized into multiple small academies.”

The student demographics in pilot schools are similar to those of the other BPS schools: most are minorities from low-income families. To sign up your child for a pilot school lottery, contact that school to learn more.

Important Note: Your best chances of getting a child into a Pilot School are in kindergarten (kindergarten may also mean pre-kindergarten, you will need to check with individual schools); grades 5 or 6 (depending on which grade the middle school begins); and grade 9. You should apply the year before your child enters these grades. While you can still shop for Pilot Schools if your child is entering grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 - their chances of admittance are much lower.