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Methuen School Committee presses for legal guidance on school choice timing and job impacts
Summary
On June 29 the Methuen School Committee debated reopening school choice for 2027–28, but members and the superintendent agreed the district has missed statutory deadlines for the coming year and asked legal counsel and DESE for advisories on possible waivers and timing for future implementation.
The Methuen School Committee spent substantial time on June 29 asking the superintendent and outside counsel to clarify whether the district can revisit its school choice policy for 2027–28 without violating state timelines.
Member Wlette said she supports school choice primarily as a tool to preserve teaching positions, urging the committee to explore even a limited experiment with open enrollment to “save jobs.” The superintendent replied that, under state rules, a public hearing and vote on school choice must generally occur by June 1 and the district must report certain out‑of‑district student lists by July 1, meaning the district cannot change eligibility for the coming school year.
Other committee members also pressed for more legal certainty. Member Bayz cited Chapter 76 language discussed in the session and noted that enrollment reporting occurs in July, October and April, making the October numbers particularly relevant to planning. Several members asked the superintendent to seek written advisories from the district’s legal counsel, the city solicitor and DESE (referred to in the meeting as “Desi”) about whether any waiver or corrective action could reopen choice for 2027–28.
The superintendent said she would record the committee’s request and follow up. Some members proposed waiting for the October 1 enrollment counts before taking any binding action, while others urged parallel planning—seeking waivers or legislative fixes if necessary—so the district can preserve staffing where possible.
The committee did not take a formal vote on school choice. Next steps recorded in the meeting were a superintendent action to request legal guidance and to report back to the committee in a future session.
The discussion closed with members agreeing that a future agenda item should revisit school choice after legal advisories and updated enrollment numbers are available.
