Medfield School Committee votes not to join state school choice program for 2026–27

The Medfield School Committee voted unanimously on May 14 to decline participation in the Massachusetts interdistrict school choice program for the 2026–27 school year.

Dr. Marsden, the district superintendent, opened the public hearing with a written recommendation that the district 'does not participate in the school choice program for FY27,' saying the state law (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 76, §12B) presumes districts may admit non‑resident students but that Medfield has historically voted not to participate and should weigh several risks before changing course.

That recommendation framed the hearing. The superintendent told the committee that while the state pays roughly $5,000 per student to a receiving district, the district currently spends more than $20,000 per resident student and accepting non‑resident students risks raising class sizes and reducing opportunities for Medfield students in electives, athletics and arts. 'Given the budget situation for FY27 and FY28, I feel we need to prioritize Medfield students,' Dr. Marsden said.

During the public comment period, several residents urged the committee to reject school choice. Kristen Simanini, a former school committee member and Medfield parent, said she would have voted against school choice if she were on the committee now and argued the reimbursement does not cover the true cost: 'What we pay to educate a child exceeds the purported income of what would be paid to accept a child through school choice,' she said, adding that accepting outside students could make the town less attractive to families who pay a premium to live in Medfield.

Other commenters pressed for more detailed data. A resident identified as Chris urged the committee to collect classroom‑level class‑size figures and to verify how many tuitioned students the district already receives and what revenue they generate, noting discrepancies in external datasets and the district's cherry‑sheet reporting. Another parent, Heather Sullivan, said increasing out‑of‑district enrollment could add pressure to special‑education services and reduce support available to Medfield students.

Committee members discussed those concerns in deliberations that followed. Members questioned the appropriateness of using high‑level facility utilization numbers and asked for more granular classroom‑level data, but several said the existing budget pressure and long history of voting 'no' weighed against opening the district this year. Multiple members said they would keep the option under review for future years.

A motion not to participate in school choice for 2026–27 was moved and seconded; a roll call followed with Michelle Kirkby, Neil/Leo Brim, Sophia Vigas, Michael McCabe and Rosalie Weiss voting yes. The motion carried 5–0.

The committee closed the hearing and proceeded to the regular agenda. The decision takes effect for the FY27 admissions window; the district will revisit the topic as conditions change or if additional data are collected.

What’s next: the committee requested more detailed enrollment and class‑size data to be prepared for future discussion and noted the vote does not remove the option of participating in later years.