State Rep. Frank Moran (D-Lawrence) filed a supplemental budget amendment earlier this month aimed at killing a controversial change to the way the state’s vocational high schools admit students.
Officials and advocates have been calling for the changes for nearly a decade, and last month the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education opened a public comment period on the new rules. The board is expected to vote on the new rules at its May 20 meeting.
Proponents of the rule changes say the existing system is unfair to students of color, English learners, special education students, and those from low-income households, as it uses criteria such as middle school grades and attendance to make admission decisions.
Moran, whose district includes parts of Andover, filed an amendment to a $1.3 billion supplemental budget plan, that would form a new admissions task force to study the issue and block any changes for a year.
While Moran’s amendment was not included in the final supplemental budget, he filed it as a separate bill. It may also be included in the state FY 2026 budget, according to Commonwealth, which first reported this story.
Steve Sharek, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, told Commonwealth he was unaware of any studies that looked at whether the new rules would address admission disparities. He also said DESE was using faulty admissions data in crafting its proposed rules.
“The latest proposal came out of nowhere,” Sharek said. “We thank Rep. Moran for filing this attempt to try to put the brakes on something that seems to be out of control.”
Sharek, who maintains that the education department has been relying on faulty admissions data, said a new admissions task force could “take an objective, dispassionate look at the data and move forward with all deliberate speed.”