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School Choice » School Choice

School Choice

The School Choice program allows parents to send their children to schools in communities other than the city or town they reside. Tuition is paid by the sending district to the receiving district. Districts may elect not to enroll school choice students if no space is available.

The Beverly Public Schools has elected to participate in school choice for a number of years. Each year, the School Committee sets the number of openings it will make available at each grade level, pending their enrollment numbers. The School Committee has voted to accept 10 students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 and 15 students’ Grades 9 through 12.

Below is the Beverly Public Schools’ School Choice Policy. If you are interested in applying for School Choice please click on the link above, download and complete the application. The application may be mailed to or dropped off at the Beverly Public Schools, Superintendent’s Office, 70 Balch Street, Beverly, MA 01915. 

 

SCHOOL CHOICE

It is the policy of the Beverly Public Schools to admit non-resident students under the terms and
conditions of the Inter-district School Choice Law (M.G.L. 76-12) and under the following local conditions:

  1. The administration will determine the number of spaces available at each level for school choice students by May 1st of each school year.

  2. The total number of students at each grade level will be certified by the School Committee by May 1st and will be reported to the Department of Education each year.

  3. The School Committee will conduct a public meeting by June 1st of any year if consideration is being given to withdraw from the provisions of the choice law.

  4. In accordance with the district open enrollment policy (see Section J, Policy JFB), resident students will be given priority placement in any classes or programs within the district.

  5. When the number of requests for school choice exceeds the number of available spaces, the selection of non-resident students for admission will be in the form of a drawing. The drawing will take place no later than June 1st of each year. Any sibling of a student currently enrolled as a school choice student shall, upon application, receive priority for admission to the program.

  6. Any student who is accepted for admission under the provisions of this policy is entitled to remain in the district until graduation from high school, except if there is a lack of funding for the program.

  7. Transportation for school choice students shall be the sole responsibility of the parent/guardian.

  8. The School Committee affirms its position that it shall not discriminate in the admission of any child on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, homelessness, ancestry, athletic performance, physical handicap, special need, academic performance, or proficiency in the English language, subject to the availability of specific programs and student services at the specific building for which space is available.

  9. With respect to students requiring special needs, in accordance with current law, the district will charge the sending district of the non-resident student the actual cost of educating any special needs student accepted as part of the choice program, including the cost of a substantially separate program or private Chapter 766 day or residential school placement, if applicable.

SOURCE Beverly
LEGAL REF M.G.L. 71:6: 71:6A: 76:6; 76:12; 76:12B
CROSS REF -
CONTRACT REF -
DATES Adopted:  August 28, 2002
Revised:   June 13, 2007
Revised:   January 9, 2013
Revised:   June 13, 2018