• Public school systems must offer School Choice unless the school committee votes against it by June 1^st each year
• There is no cost to the receiving school system or community
• The sending school system pays the receiving school system’s per pupil tuition
• The selection process is random and free from any type of discrimination
• There is no application criteria and no child can be refused entry if there is room in the grade; all children, including special needs, are eligible
• Some school systems use a First Come, First Served method, with postmark being the indicating factor
• Selection to a grade is based on available seats in the grade
• Selection priority is given to siblings of Choice students already enrolled
• Application and selection may be made throughout the year depending on availability of seats per grade
• Once the student is accepted, the student will remain part of that system until graduation; no need to reapply
• The receiving school can not rescind its acceptance of a Choice student, even if in years to come, the receiving school faces overcrowding. A Choice student cannot be sent back to the community of residence.
• The sending school system can not refuse a student from participating in School Choice
• The sending school system can not refuse to pay the receiving school’s tuition
• A Choice family is under no obligation to move to receiving school system
• A Choice student can not be denied participation in any school-related activities
• Transportation is the responsibility of the Choice participant, however, the participants need only to get to the nearest receiving school’s bus stop

Click here to access our district school choice page

Information obtained from the Massachusetts School Choice Law of 1991, Massachusetts Department of Education School Choice information of 1995, and the 1993 Education Reform Law. This information is current as of March 2002.

Office of the Superintendent :
872 South Street
Barre, MA 01005
Phone: 978-355-4668
FAX: 978-355-6756