Methuen Public Schools is accepting School Choice Applications for the school year 2026-2027. Families residing outside of Methuen, who wish for their student to be considered for one of these seats, must complete this application. The deadline to have applications considered for the lottery is Monday, August 24, 2026 at noon. Applications received after this date and time will be added to the waiting list if no available seats remain.
Methuen Public Schools School Choice Guidelines 2026-2027
1) All students who reside in Massachusetts, outside of the City of Methuen, and who are entering the grade(s) specified above for the 2026-2027 school year are eligible to apply for the specified seats.
2) Per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 76, Section 12b, Methuen Public Schools will not give preference for admission based on a student’s characteristics, including the presence of a disability. Significant existing or pending disciplinary actions in the student’s current district may result in denial of enrollment, per applicable state law.
3) The Methuen Public Schools will not provide transportation to school choice students. Parents/guardians are responsible for transporting the student to and from school.
4) Students who enroll through school choice will be able to continue in the district through graduation, barring significant disciplinary issues. Students will not need to re-apply for subsequent years.
5) The application deadline is Monday, August 24, 2026. If the number of applications exceeds the number of available seats, the district will conduct a lottery for those seats. Applicants will be notified via email if their child has been accepted. The family will then notify the district in writing, via email, whether their child will attend or decline. This process will be repeated until all seats are filled.
If the student is not accepted due to a lack of seats, they will be added to the waiting list in the order determined via lottery. Families submitting applications after August 24 will be placed on the waiting list in the order in which applications are received, or offered seats if available.
6.) Upon acceptance into the school choice program, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to complete registration with the MPS Family Resources Center. A list of appropriate documents for the child will be requested to complete enrollment.
6) All Methuen Public Schools policies and regulations will apply to school choice students.
More information on school choice may be found at: https://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/schoolchoice/default.html
