Greater New Bedford discusses state-mandated weighted lottery for Class of 2030 admissions

Greater New Bedford VocTechofficials told the school committee on Aug. 11 that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education now requires vocational-technical schools to use a weighted lottery for admissions to the class of 2030 and that the district must adopt a policy by Nov. 1. "Every child who completes an application gets a ball in the pot regardless of any of their experiences," Superintendent Watson said, explaining how the new system gives applicants one or more "balls" based on specified weights.

The state rule matters because it changes who can be advantaged in the selection process, district leaders said. Under the new regulations, local committees may assign additional "weights" for factors such as attendance, discipline thresholds and demonstrated interest (open-house attendance, tours, videos or letters). The administration told the committee it intends to bring a policy forward for adoption in October so the portal can open in time for the Class of 2030 application cycle.

At the meeting, members debated which weights to apply. Several school committee members questioned using demonstrated interest as a weight, saying it could disadvantage students whose families cannot attend events. "I kind of like to committing to be aware that that might be a Pandora's box that you open," a committee member said during discussion. Another member urged caution about the state's attendance threshold, noting that 27 unexcused days as a cutoff may be too lenient for gauging future workplace attendance.

Superintendent Watson also described how discipline and absence thresholds interact with the new lottery: applicants can receive up to three opportunities in the pot through combinations of base entry, attendance/discipline and interest weights. Watson said the district's preliminary data for recent incoming freshmen show changes in student composition following prior policy changes and that the administration recommends retaining the current local weights if the committee opts for a weighted lottery.

No vote was taken on admissions rules at the meeting; the committee scheduled further discussion with the intention of adopting a policy in October. The administration said it will supply finalized data and recommended language for the committee to review in the coming weeks.