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Superintendent reports growing enrollment, DESE renewal visit, competency policy changes and audit delay
Summary
Superintendent Patrick Lattuca told the TECCA board that enrollment is at 3,000 with a 1,000‑student waitlist and asked to raise the enrollment cap; he updated the Board on a DESE renewal visit, a new competency determination policy for upcoming classes and a financial audit delay tied to a federal shutdown.
Superintendent Patrick Lattuca updated the TECCA Commonwealth Virtual School Board Oct. 23 on enrollment trends, planned policy changes and regulatory reviews.
Lattuca said TECCA counted 3,000 students on the Oct. 1 roster and has about 1,000 students on a waitlist; retention improved from 82% in FY24 to 86% in FY25. He proposed increasing the enrollment cap to 3,300 for the 2026–27 school year, with seats prioritized for elementary and middle grades to build a sustainable pipeline, and asked the Board to authorize submission of a cap increase letter to the Commissioner.
On academic policy, Lattuca reviewed draft superintendent goals developed with Board input, including a new target that 90% of eligible students will earn a high‑school diploma by the end of the school year. Assistant Superintendent Heidi Nelson‑Buffa outlined a Competency Determination policy aligned with DESE rules: for the Class of 2026, previously earned competency through MCAS or retests will count; for the Class of 2027 the policy adds a US history mastery and coursework requirement. Nelson‑Buffa noted complexity for off‑cohort students and said the policy will affect instruction and assessment practices.
Nelson‑Buffa and Amy Muldoon reported progress on Tiered Focused Monitoring: TECCA has closed three of ten previously partially met items from a multilingual review and is targeting all remaining conditions to be met by June 2026; nursing and immunization compliance steps are planned with a reporting target in January 2026.
On financial oversight, Cathleen Ellis reviewed the Sept. 30 financial statements and said the district showed a net decrease of $196,000 typical for September. Ellis told the Board that completion of the financial audit is delayed because the federal single audit compliance supplement had not been released amid a federal government shutdown; auditors will present available audit material while awaiting the supplement.
Lattuca also reported that a planned meeting on a food initiative was paused because of the federal shutdown and that TECCA staff are engaging with partners, including Pearson, on coaching and career pathway work.
The Board unanimously approved the superintendent’s goals and the enrollment cap increase later in the meeting.
