Shrewsbury High School officials presented the Class of 2025 postsecondary report at the Oct. 8 School Committee meeting, reporting that of 421 graduates, 81% attended four‑year colleges, 12% attended two‑year colleges or technical schools, and 7% selected employment, military service, or other plans.

Why it matters: The report provides the community with a snapshot of graduates’ postsecondary choices, tracks equity measures (free/reduced lunch, English learners, special education), and highlights counseling workload and district counseling resources.

Key figures presented by Mr. Bizzidlow and Ms. Flynn included: 421 students in the class; 3,711 total college applications processed; 359 distinct colleges applied to; 292 acceptances; and 110 institutions where students ultimately enrolled. Officials said the counseling office processed the highest number of college applications in recent years and noted that 62 students submitted more than 15 applications.

The session also showed a shift toward public institutions: 58% of students who matriculated attended public colleges and 42% attended private institutions, up from 51% public the prior year. Counselors noted an increase in students opting for two‑year colleges and career/technical programs (12% this year versus 8% last year) and discussed factors such as tuition costs, articulation agreements, and growth in local CTE pathways.

Equity and subgroup data: Among students who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, 51% enrolled in a four‑year college, 33% in a two‑year college, and 16% entered the workforce or other plans. The district reported that English learners from the cohort enrolled at rates of 10% four‑year, 40% two‑year, and 50% workforce/other.

Counseling workload and next steps: Presenters said counselors handled an especially heavy caseload (reported rough caseload average ~234 students per counselor) and processed a large volume of applications; staff recommended investing in counseling capacity and noted the value of school-run resources such as an application boot camp (about 100 participants this year) and summer prep offerings.

Committee members asked whether the district collects postgraduation employment data, including connections with CTE programming and Assabet vocational pathways; staff said they do exit interviews in May and can seek additional data where students consent. No committee votes were taken on the report; members thanked staff for the analysis and encouraged continued tracking and support for students navigating different postsecondary pathways.