BPS · SCHOOL RECORDS APOSTILLE
Boston Public Schools Records Apostille
Leaving Boston Public Schools for a school overseas? Your new school or the country’s education ministry will usually want report cards, transcripts or a diploma, often with an apostille. Here’s how BPS releases records, what to ask for, and how we get them notarized and apostilled correctly.
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BOSTON · PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Elementary through high school, across the city
Report cards, transcripts, diplomas and letters, ready for any country
- Report cards and transcripts
- Enrollment and withdrawal letters
- Diplomas
- Translations if needed
Which BPS records you can request
| Record | Who issues it | How to request |
|---|---|---|
| Current student records (report cards, cumulative record) | Your child’s school | Contact the school directly. BPS says records should be provided within ten days. |
| Transcripts for graduates and former students | The school, through BPS’s online ordering system | Order online through Scrib (free for students), or send the School Transcript Request Form to the school. BPS prefers online orders. |
| Records from merged or renamed schools | The successor school | Request from the school that took over the old school’s records |
| Records from closed schools | BPS Records Manager | By mail to the Records Manager, Boston Public Schools, 2300 Washington St, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02119 |
| Older transcripts | Boston City Archives (some records) | The City of Boston explains which older BPS transcripts it holds |
| Immunization records | The school nurse | Ask the school nurse; BPS Health Services can answer questions |
Offices and procedures change. Confirm with the school before you order, or let us confirm it for you.
How the BPS process works
For a current student, start with your child’s school. BPS’s student records guidance says parents should contact the school, and that records should be provided within ten days. When a student transfers to a school outside BPS, the district normally sends the record directly to the new school, but a school overseas may not request it that way, so get your own copies before you leave.
For a graduate or former student, BPS asks families to order transcripts online through its Scrib ordering site, which is free for students. You can also complete the School Transcript Request Form and send it to the school. If the school has merged or been renamed, request records from the successor school. If it has closed, write to the BPS Records Manager at 2300 Washington Street.
None of these routes produces a notarized record on its own. BPS doesn’t publish anything about notarization or apostilles, so the notarization is something we arrange with the school once you have the record, or that we coordinate with the school directly.
What to request by grade level
| Grade level | What schools abroad usually want |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 5 | The last one or two report cards, a letter confirming the last grade completed, and immunization records. Formal recognition is rarely needed at this age, but some countries and schools still ask for apostilled copies. |
| Grades 6 to 8 | Report cards for the last two or three years, an enrollment or withdrawal letter, and any testing or placement information. Some ministries compare middle school years to place a child in the right grade. |
| Grades 9 to 12 | An official transcript, course descriptions for the courses taken, and the diploma for graduates. Many countries run a formal recognition process for these years, and they’re the ones most likely to need an apostille and a translation. |
| Students with an IEP or 504 plan | A copy of the plan and recent evaluations, so the new school can plan support. These usually don’t need an apostille. |
Ask BPS for everything at once. A single request, made before your child’s last day, is far easier for the office than several requests after you’ve left the country.
How your BPS record gets notarized
Massachusetts will apostille a document notarized with any of its four notarial acts. What decides the right route is the country or school receiving it.
School official acknowledgment
A BPS official, such as the principal, registrar or guidance director, signs the record before our notary, confirming it’s the school’s official record.
School official affidavit
The official signs a sworn statement confirming enrollment or graduation and that the attached records match the school’s files. This is what Spain’s Ministry of Education asks for. See our Spain guide.
Certified copy, only if your recipient accepts it
You present the original record and our notary certifies the copy. Massachusetts will apostille it, but some countries reject it for school records.
Prepared right the first time
We prepare the notarial wording with what your country asks for: the official’s name, position and school.
Things BPS families should know
- BPS sends records directly to new schools when a student transfers, but a school abroad may never request them. Ask for your own copies before your child’s last day.
- A temporary record is released when a student leaves BPS only with a signed release form.
- Plan around the school calendar. Office staff, counselors and principals who sign records are often unavailable in July and August, and end-of-year weeks are the busiest time for records offices. If you’re moving in summer, request everything in April or May.
- Spain and some other countries want the school itself to certify the record. Tell us early so we can arrange a school official’s signature before our notary.
- Keep the original diploma safe. Many countries want the diploma and transcripts together.
How we handle it
- 1
Tell us the country and deadline
Send us any instructions from the new school or ministry. We confirm which records each child needs and how they must be notarized.
- 2
We coordinate with BPS
We contact the right office, request the records, and prepare the notarial wording.
- 3
Notarization
Our notary meets the school official. With your letter of authorization, you don’t need to be there.
- 4
Massachusetts apostille
We file in person with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
- 5
Translation and delivery
We add translations if needed and ship worldwide with tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Our child’s BPS school closed. Where are the records?
Write to the Records Manager at Boston Public Schools, 2300 Washington St, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02119. If the school merged or was renamed, the successor school has the records. Some older transcripts are held by Boston City Archives.
Is there a fee for BPS transcripts?
BPS says ordering through its online system is free for students. Verification companies pay a fee.
Will the school sign before a notary for an apostille?
Most school offices will, once they understand what the receiving country needs. We contact BPS for you, explain the notarization, and prepare the wording so the official only has to review and sign.
Do I have to be there?
No. With a signed letter of authorization, we can pick up records and meet the school official without you. Many families are already abroad when the records are ready.
Is a certified copy enough?
Massachusetts will apostille a certified copy that you, as the parent or student, present to the notary. Some countries and schools don’t accept it for school records, so we only use that route once you’ve confirmed your recipient accepts it.
Can you add translations?
Yes. We arrange certified or sworn translations into the language your new school or ministry needs, in the same order.
How quickly must a public school give us copies?
Under 603 CMR 23.07, a Massachusetts public school must give a parent access to the student record within 10 days of the request, and copies on request. In practice, give the office as much notice as you can, especially near the end of the school year.
Need BPS records for a move abroad?
Tell us the country, your children’s grades and your move date. We’ll handle the rest.