Northborough committee votes to withdraw from state interdistrict school choice for 2026–27

The Town of Northborough School Committee voted unanimously March 30 to withdraw from the Massachusetts interdistrict school choice program for the 2026–27 academic year.

Mr. Martinell, who presented the district’s recommendation, said the tuition reimbursement for school choice students is $5,000 per pupil while Northborough’s FY24 per-pupil expenditure was $21,270, creating “a substantial financial shortfall for each incoming school choice student.” He also told the committee that current enrollment and the district’s class-size policy leave limited capacity, and that adding students through school choice could negatively affect class sizes and available resources.

The public hearing required by state law produced no speakers; the committee closed the hearing and then took the withdrawal motion. The motion was moved and seconded and passed by roll-call vote with all members voting yes.

The withdrawal must be filed before the state’s June 1 deadline for committee action, and committee members said their decision is intended to protect classroom resources and budget planning for 2026–27. The committee did not direct staff to pursue any alternative enrollment or financial offsets as part of the vote.

Next steps: the administration will file the withdrawal notice with state authorities before June 1 as required, and the committee may revisit participation in a future year if district finances or capacity change.