James Vaznis

The strikes in the three districts are locking out nearly 10,000 students from their classrooms.

City councilors, increasingly frustrated by the tardy buses, spent more than three hours grilling BPS officials about the problems and what they are doing to fix it.

Across Boston, late and no-show buses are repeatedly upending the lives of student athletes, who already are struggling to overcome obstacles to play sports at subpar high school facilities.

The ridership drop largely reflects a more than decade-long decline in student enrollment in Boston Public Schools and offers another window into the financial strain it is causing.

In its place, the ballot measure would establish a new mandate: Students would need to complete coursework certified by their districts in those subjects that meet state academic standards.

The outcome of Question 2 could influence the direction of schooling for generations of students and families, either lessening the role of MCAS testing or reinforcing its existence.

Deb McCarthy’s quest exemplifies the deep frustration shared by many educators about the MCAS, which is fueling the biggest testing backlash to hit Massachusetts in two decades.

Both proponents and opponents are seizing upon the MCAS failure rates and spinning it to their advantage as they attempt to win over voters at the polls.

Public confidence in BPS is eroding as the district grapples with another year of late buses.

The city councilors called on the state education office to conduct a detailed probe of BPS' transportation department.