Councilors Murphy + Flynn Concerned that Non-BPS Student are Being Excluded from free admission program

The Boston Globe Editorial Board is weighing in on the free BPS Sundays – a pilot program that allows BPS students and families free admission to local museums two Sundays a month – and joining City Councilors Erin Muphy and Ed Flynn in urging Mayor Wu to extend it to all families in the City of Boston. You can read the editorial here. 

In response to Mayor Wu’s announcement at the State of the City Address that all BPS students + families will have free admission to local museums, cultural institutions, and more, councilors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn released the following statement back in January :

19 Comments

  1. Patrick January 10, 2024 at 6:43 pm - Reply

    They can afford private schools for their kids but not museum entrance fees? Also it was never something they asked for until the BPS students were given it? Easy solution – put your kid in BPS if you think the perks are so good.

    • e Downs January 11, 2024 at 2:04 pm - Reply

      The students are children of Boston Tax payers. They deserve the same access as anyone else.

      • PF January 11, 2024 at 3:30 pm - Reply

        Parent of Dorchester PJP Academy pay taxes to Boston just like you.

  2. David Connolly January 11, 2024 at 2:07 pm - Reply

    Have no kids in school anymore. but I still have skin in the game, the taxes I pay to live in South Boston, which fund the institutions you speak of, Sir. I believe any student of any school in the city I pay for should be eligible.

    • Patrick January 11, 2024 at 10:26 pm - Reply

      I agree. Do your tax dollars go to the South End Private school Ed referenced in his statement?

    • Patrick January 11, 2024 at 10:26 pm - Reply

      Do your tax dollars go to the South End Private school Ed referenced in his statement?

  3. Linda Lynch January 11, 2024 at 2:41 pm - Reply

    To Patrick, most of these parents that are sending their children to private/parochial schools are both working and some of the fathers have 2 jobs. They are struggling, probably more that most of the parents who use the BPS system, and all Boston children should be treated the same. Sounds to me that this is a bit racist on Wu’s part.

    • Patrick January 11, 2024 at 10:22 pm - Reply

      Serious question, why would someone who needs to work 2 jobs to get by not take advantage of a feee public school system that has such good benefits?

  4. Joey January 11, 2024 at 3:03 pm - Reply

    @Patrick, typical newbie liberal response

    • Patrick January 11, 2024 at 10:39 pm - Reply

      I’d argue that you wanting more free benefits for everyone is the more liberal stance here

  5. Tony C. January 11, 2024 at 5:52 pm - Reply

    Patrick – the Boston parents who ‘can afford private schools’ are ALSO paying for the BPS students. Perhaps not excluding them from this small perk would be a nice gesture of appreciation.

    You can do better, try again.

    In Wu’s world DEI stands for Divide, Exclude and Immoral.

    • Patrick January 11, 2024 at 10:24 pm - Reply

      They’re also paying for food stamps, unemployment, subsidized housing and every other benefit that they don’t utilize and I’ve heard no demands for those.

      You can also also do better

  6. Ed Ryan January 11, 2024 at 8:19 pm - Reply

    why shouldn’t they not only do they pay for their kids to go to private schools their taxes are going to BPS so they are paying for every kid in BPS. I guess things will never be fair in New Boston

  7. Patrick January 11, 2024 at 10:20 pm - Reply

    Great I pay taxes as well happy we all cleared that up. How many times have these schools requested this perk before BPS students received it? Probably zero. It sounds like when you give 1 kid a present and now the other one needs to have it. Don’t like Wu but spinning a free perk for BPS students into “racist” is tired and lazy

  8. Jim January 12, 2024 at 12:45 pm - Reply

    Patrick, have you thought that parents are sending their children to ” private schools” for religious reasons. a Catholic school is suddenly elitist.

    How about the city so it’s fair for all pays for public schools and Catholic schools for its tax base then nothing to complain here. In fact the cost to educate a student at a Catholic school is cheaper than what public schools pay per child. This is how it is done in Ontario the family picks which school they want their tax dollars to go to.

    https://www.ldcsb.ca/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1076461&type=d&pREC_ID=1360089

    In summary, those that complain about historically being divided are creating the division now that’s what this is all about.

  9. Maria Lyons January 12, 2024 at 12:47 pm - Reply

    Many Boston private school students, especially attending the Catholic Schools are on scholarship. Their families can not afford to visit the Museums. City should be offering same program to all Boston students. That being said, there are already ways to attend many museums for free, especially with a pass from the Library!
    Good list of freebies here!
    https://travelingtulls.com/free-museum-days-in-boston/

  10. Linda Dacorta January 12, 2024 at 5:55 pm - Reply

    Thank you to Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn. Those were my sentiments exactly as I listened to Mayor Wu the other night. That opportunity should be given to every Boston student whether they attend public or private school. Their parents pay taxes in Boston too.

  11. Tony C. January 13, 2024 at 11:55 am - Reply

    Patrick – notice how no one is arguing against the policy for BPS students… only the exclusion of a certain group of students. Why are you defending this divisive policy?  

    Divide, Exclude, Immoral. check, check, check.

  12. Paul SR January 18, 2024 at 5:30 pm - Reply

    My question is how much are these museums paying in PILOT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes)? Presumably even the top property-tax exempt museums pay only a fraction of the taxes that otherwise would be owed. Consequently, perhaps this should be a key consideration in granting free admission to all public and private Boston schoolchildren.

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