Superintendent's report: the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has not provided an official response to the school's recent submission on admissions-policy concerns, leaving the district "in a holding pattern," an administrator told the board at the Nov. 18 meeting.

The uncertainty, the administrator said, could affect the lottery and the district's FY27 budget planning. "We're still sort of in this holding pattern," the administrator said in the update, noting the department had promised a response earlier but none had arrived as of the meeting.

Board members were told that state and local contacts are engaged: the administration said Senator Comerford's office and Representative Sabadosa had been contacted and the executive office of education had reached out. The superintendent described informal conversations that may lead to a short-term solution such as a one-year waiver to cover the current admission cycle while longer-term regulatory changes are pursued, but cautioned nothing was official.

Trustees pressed the administration on budgetary implications. One trustee asked whether the district should prepare two budgets—one assuming the department's policy stance and one assuming an alternative—because the admissions ruling would influence enrollment numbers and distributing costs across sending districts. The administration said it expects clarity before the formal budget season but could not guarantee timing.

The board also heard that the district has contracted an online application and lottery vendor (referred to as GoTo's CTE in the meeting) intended to streamline application and lottery operations once the policy decision is clear. Administrators said the vendor will host online applications and conduct the electronic lottery in the spring.

What happens next: the administration said it is awaiting DESE's formal communication; the board was told the administration would share updates when they arrive and prepare for budget scenarios tied to the admissions outcome.