Westborough School Committee votes to opt out of FY27 interdistrict School Choice

The Westborough School Committee voted to opt out of the state's interdistrict School Choice program for fiscal year 2027 after a brief public hearing and discussion.

During the hearing the committee opened comment under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 76, Section 12B; Allison (superintendent, S3) explained that School Choice is the state default unless a district votes to withdraw and outlined the program's mechanics, including non-discriminatory lottery placements, lack of transportation provision, and that Choice reimbursement typically is about $5,000 per student. The presentation noted that the reimbursement is paid from the sending district's Chapter 70 allocation to the receiving district and that Westborough's per-pupil expenditure exceeds the Choice reimbursement, which could require the district to subsidize Choice students.

A formal resolution stating that Westborough would respectfully decline participation was read and moved by a committee member (text read into the record by S4). The resolution noted fiscal concerns, the district's obligation to retain accepted students through graduation, and reserved the right to reconsider if surrounding districts change course before the statutory June 1 deadline. With no public commenters recorded, the committee closed the hearing, moved to the vote, and the motion passed 5-0.

The committee chair clarified that a "yes" vote signified non-participation. The committee did not adopt any additional implementation conditions in the recorded motion; the resolution as read in the meeting will be submitted to the state as the committee's decision.

Next steps: the committee will file the formal withdrawal resolution with the state in accordance with Chapter 76, Section 12B and the district will monitor neighboring districts' decisions ahead of the June 1 deadline.