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Draft Admissions Lottery

Regulations Review

Current policy
Dept of Education revised proposal overview

March 10, 2025

Board of Education hearing overview

March 10, 2025

Some of our concerns
Next steps

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Current Policy

Attendance 15 points

Conduct 10 points

Grades 25 points

Interview 45 points

Recommendation 5 points

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Current Policy

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Dept of Ed Proposal

5 major changes

Introduction of weighted lottery based admission system
Non Resident (Out of County)
Middle School Access Requirements
Timeline Standardization
Terminology update: changes "vocational" to "career technical" throughout

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Dept of Ed Proposal

DESE Proposals | Weighted Lottery

Introduction of weighted lottery based admission system
EVERY applicant receives one “raffle entry”
Applicants who have not been suspended or expelled pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 §37H or §37H1/2, or suspended or expelled for more than 10 days pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 §37H3/4 receive an additional raffle ticket
Students with fewer than 27 unexcused, full-day absences over the 270 school days prior to the date of their application receive an additional raffle ticket

Current policy:

Attendance 15

Conduct 10

Grades 25

Interview 45

Recommendation 5

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Dept of Ed Proposal

DESE Proposal | Student Interest:

Conditions: Schools must offer at least two open houses and three virtual information sessions per school year.

Ways to Demonstrate Interest:

Non-evaluative interview
Attending an invited Q&A session
Participating in a tour
Attending a CTE presentation, virtual session, or open house
Submitting an audio/video presentation or personal essay
Providing a letter of recommendation from a non-family member
Other approved measures proposed by the CTE school or program

Current policy:

Students participate in an interview worth 45% of the overall application score.

Interview questions are provided to students ahead of time, and accommodations are supported.

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Dept of Ed Proposal

Concerns Regarding Student Interest Proposed Changes:

Accessing Information is not the same as Expressing Interest

Examples of accessing information:

Attending a mandatory information session at their own sending school
Attending a school field trip tour
Watching an informational video
Visiting the Bristol Aggie website
Attending a Q and A session, or virtual information session

Places burdens on vocational high schools:

Financially

Open houses require teacher participation outside their contract
Bristol Aggie already hosts an extensive 2-day open house (Fall Show) which is part of our teacher contracts
Host schools would be responsible for funding middle school field trips

Logistically

Bristol Aggie has more than 40 in-county public and charter middle schools, which would each need tours and presentations
Our current student body’s learning environment would experience significant interruptions due to continual field tours running during the school day

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Dept of Ed Proposal

Concerns Regarding Student Interest Proposed Changes:

3. Lack of Authentic Expression of interest may result in:

Increased attrition rates as students do not find a program that interests them
Increased sophomore transfers into available programs, which may not be their first choice
Decreased attendance rates in high school
Impacts to industry partnerships (i.e. Co-ops, job opportunities)

Size of applicant pool for agricultural schools is disproportionately high:

Norfolk Aggie and Bristol Aggie have the largest pool of eligible students of ANY vocational schools
6,225 in 2024, 6442 in 2023
We are double the applicant pool of Diman with ¼ of the seats, and far fewer programs
Less than 1% of Massachusetts 8th graders will enroll in Agricultural Programs

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Dept of Ed Proposal

DESE Proposals | Non Residents (Out of County)

603 C.M.R. 4.06 (j)(2)

If the receiving school has a waitlist, resident students will be admitted via lottery before non-resident (out of County) students may be admitted via lottery.

Current policy:

M.G.L. Ch. 74, Section 32:

Any resident of the commonwealth over 14 years of age who resides in any town outside of a county in which a county agricultural school is located may be admitted to such school on the conditions prescribed in section 7.

M.G.L. Ch. 74, Section 7:

Residents of towns in the commonwealth not maintaining approved independent distributive occupations, industrial, agricultural, vocational home economics and allied health occupations training schools offering the type of education desired, or children placed in such a town by the commissioner of children and families or by the trustees of the Massachusetts training schools, may, upon the approval of the commissioner under the direction of the state board, be admitted to a school in another town. In making his decision, the commissioner under the direction of the state board shall take into consideration the opportunities for free vocational training where the applicant resides, the financial status of such place, the age, preparation, aptitude and previous record of the applicant, and other relevant circumstances.

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Dept of Ed Proposal

Concerns Regarding Proposed Changes Surrounding Non-Resident Students:

These changes would effectively eliminate non-resident (out of county) students from Bristol Aggie
We currently maintain a waitlist of over 480 students for the Class of 2029
Approximately 20% of our student population lives outside of Bristol County
Out-of-district students would have no opportunity to pursue agricultural education in high school
The cost to the district would severely impact the budget for not only the school, but the county as well
If necessary, we will fight for a special “carve-out” for non-resident students, based on the legislation that currently exists

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Dept of Ed Proposal

DESE Proposals | Mandates middle school access

Mandates middle school pathway exploration policies
Requires districts to allow “information”
Transportation costs covered by hosting schools
“May not withhold student access to tours of CTE schools and programs during the school day”
No consequences or enforcement information in the regulations

Current policy:

Very little substantive change

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Dept of Ed Proposal

Concerns Regarding Student Interest Proposed Changes:

1. No language regarding enforcement or consequences of noncompliance by middle schools

2. Significant burden of compliance placed on receiving high schools

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Dept of Ed Proposal

DESE Proposals | Timeline standardization

Applications available by November 1
Deadlines between January 1 - March 1
Lottery timeline - not specified

Current policy:

Determined by school

Concerns:

None - we support standardizing the timeline for admissions

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Next Steps

Timeline for the Process:

March 10, 2025 opened up the comment period and move these regulations forward as written
March 25, 2025 - BESE meeting | Public comment
April 18, 2025- Closing of Public Comments @ 5pm
May 20, 2025 - Possible VOTE on Regulations

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Step 1- Prepare template letter/email

How can I voice my concerns or support for these changes?: We created these Advocacy Letters to ensure that your voice is heard. You can choose 1 of the 5 templates below that meet your needs to contact the policy makers.

Letter 1 - Bristol Aggie as a Specialized Agricultural school
Letter 2 - Agricultural focus, more specifically regarding animal science
Letter 3 - Addresses lack of evidence-based approach to proposed regulations
Letter 4 - Most generic boilerplate
Letter 5 - Directed to Legislators, advocating for legislation

Please ensure to include in the templates above: Your name, school (Bristol County Agricultural High School), and contact information (email).

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Step 2- Who? Key policy makers

How can I voice my concerns or support for these changes?: Who do I send my letters and emails to once I have edited the template?

Submit public comments to the Board of Education: ccte@mass.gov. Public comment can also be submitted via this web-based form.
Email/send via mail your Advocacy Letters (letters 1-4) to key policymakers, including:

Acting Commissioner Dr. Russell Johnston – Russell.Johnston@mass.gov
Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler – Patrick.Tutwiler@mass.gov
Governor Maura Healey’s Office – Kate.R.Cook@state.ma.us, Gabe.Viator@mass.gov
Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll – Juan.Gallego@mass.gov
Board of Education Members – BoardofEducation@mass.gov

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Step 3- Who? Local Legislatures

How can I voice my concerns or support for these changes?: Who do I send my letters and emails to once I have edited the template?

Your local State Representative and State Senators: Email and send via mail (Letter 5) the following template letter to encourage them to create separate legislation for agricultural schools.

Letter 5 - Directed to Legislators, advocating for legislation
Send letter to: Mail to: Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133 (ensure you include room #)
Email letter: Click here to view contact info for your

local State Representative and State Senator for both

Bristol County and Plymouth County.

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Step 3- Who? Local Legislatures

Email letter: Click here to view email address for your local State Representative and State Senator for both Bristol County and Plymouth County.

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Central Location of Information

Tool Kit

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Next Steps

FAQ’s

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Thank You

Questions

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Next Steps

If needed Bristol Aggie - will push for carve out regarding non-resident | Out of County (based on legislation) MGL Section 32 Admission of non-residents: Any resident of the commonwealth over 14 years of age who resides in any town outside of a county in which a county agricultural school is located may be admitted to such school on the conditions prescribed in section 7.