Speaking at UMass Boston, Wu said the district recorded its highest graduation rate last school year. She also announced plans to add hub schools, expand math clubs and offer free weekend sports for students ages 6 to 12. The announcement did not specify how many additional hub schools or clubs are planned, or when the expansions will begin.

The proposals come as Boston students continue to lag behind their 2019 standardized-test performance, according to results released earlier this month. The district has not fully recovered from pandemic-era learning losses, raising questions about whether recent improvement is reaching students across schools and closing achievement gaps.

Wu defended the district’s performance, saying Boston now outperforms all 10 of its state-designated peer districts and has moved ahead of dozens of other districts. She acknowledged that the city has not reached its goals, but described the gains as substantial.

Some advocates said the speech did not offer enough detail on where progress is happening. Vernée Wilkinson of School Facts Boston said she wants regular updates and data visualizations showing whether achievement gaps are narrowing. Mary Tamer, founder of Mass Potential, said the district needs to acknowledge the scale of academic struggles and present a plan to address them.

The speech largely left out the contentious question of school consolidations and closures. Wu has previously said that schools with very low enrollment may struggle to sustain a broad range of programs, while suggesting other changes could help.

The address builds on Wu’s first State of the Schools speech last year, when she pledged to protect Boston schools from federal cuts, improve facilities and expand before- and after-school programming. Monday’s announcements add new enrichment opportunities, but the district’s academic results and the reach of those programs remain central questions for students, families and educators.