Department of Ed proposes weighted lottery system for vocational school admissions

The Gardner Public Welfare Committee convened on March 21, 2025, to discuss significant developments in the local education system, particularly the proposed shift to a lottery system for student admissions. This change, put forth by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), aims to create a weighted lottery that could impact how students are selected for admission to local schools.

The proposal, presented to the Board of Education on March 2, introduces a system where all applicants are entered into a lottery, with certain criteria potentially allowing for additional entries. Specifically, students with fewer than 27 absences in their seventh and half of their eighth-grade years could have their names entered multiple times. Additionally, students with serious disciplinary issues, such as bringing a weapon to school or drug-related offenses, would face restrictions on their lottery entries. Fortunately, these issues are rare, affecting fewer than 400 students statewide.

Committee members expressed concerns about maintaining equitable access for Gardner students, especially given the anticipated increase in applicants if the lottery system is implemented. Currently, Gardner expects around 850 applicants annually, and the new system could complicate the selection process. The committee emphasized the importance of ensuring that local districts can uphold their commitments to diversity and inclusion in student admissions.

The lottery system is expected to be finalized by late May, with the first lottery affecting current seventh graders. Eighth graders will not be impacted, as they are already in the admission process. The committee members highlighted the positive relationship between Gardner Public Schools and Monty Tech, expressing hope for continued collaboration and transparency moving forward.

As the community awaits the final decision on the lottery system, the discussions at the meeting underscore the ongoing efforts to adapt educational policies to better serve local students while addressing concerns about fairness and accessibility. The committee remains committed to monitoring these developments closely and ensuring that the needs of Gardner's students are prioritized.