The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in Math. The lowest is 16% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Roxbury Preparatory Charter (district)
Roxbury Preparatory Charter is a district that operates a single school serving grades five through twelve in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. As a charter district, it sits outside the Boston Public Schools system and draws students from across the city. Any family considering Roxbury Prep should know that this is a charter network with an academic record that a parent will want to examine closely.
State testing results for math, English, and science show that the share of students reaching proficient levels is modest. Across the tested grades, proficiency in math and English language arts each sit below a third of students tested, and in science the rate is lower still. In eighth-grade social studies, proficiency is roughly one in six students. Participation rates on state assessments were high, at better than nine in ten for each subject, so these results reflect nearly the full student body and are not skewed by low turnout. The district’s overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint when compared with the other school districts across Suffolk County, which is a reminder that the county includes many districts with very low proficiency rates; the bar for that comparison is not a high one. Parents looking at this data may want to inquire about the school’s approach to academic intervention and its curriculum strategy.
The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, together making up the vast majority of enrollment. White students and Asian students each account for a very small share. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, on students with disabilities, and on English learners were not provided, so a parent should ask the school directly about the economic and linguistic diversity of the student population and the supports in place.
Chronic absenteeism is a notable concern. The district’s chronic absenteeism rate sits below the midpoint among Suffolk County districts, meaning it is higher than average for the county, and the county rate itself is already elevated compared with many other parts of Massachusetts. Chronic absence can signal challenges with student engagement or with the supports families and students need to attend school consistently. A family may want to ask what the school is doing to improve attendance and how it supports students who miss significant days.
Per-pupil current spending is in the middle range, lower half, when stacked against other Suffolk County districts. That is a neutral marker; a moderate level of spending can reflect efficiency or constraints, and on its own it does not tell a parent about the quality of instruction or facilities.
A major change that families would weigh is the school’s consolidation onto a single campus. As of July 2025, the high school and the Mission Hill middle school campus relocated into a new four-story building at 71 Proctor Street in Roxbury. The building, described publicly as state-of-the-art, includes science labs, a regulation-sized gym, performing arts spaces, and a cafeteria. This co-location of middle and high school grades on a modern campus is a feature that may appeal to families who value a unified school community and upgraded facilities. It also means the district now operates from one site rather than multiple locations. The new campus is a publicly reported investment that gives prospective families a physical asset to tour and consider.
The district’s grade span is five through twelve, so it does not serve elementary grades, and because it is a charter district there is no neighborhood assignment; enrollment happens through a lottery. The high school graduation rate was not available in the data provided, so a parent who wants to know how many students finish within four years should request that figure from the school.
Taken together, Roxbury Preparatory Charter is a district for a family who wants a charter option in Boston serving middle and high school grades, who is comfortable examining the school’s academic outcomes and asking hard questions about its proficiency rates and chronic absenteeism, and who may be attracted by the new campus consolidation. It is not a district that posts high proficiency numbers, and the chronic absenteeism rate is a flag. The data available gives a parent enough to start a real conversation with the school.
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