Essex Tech Superintendent Rejects MA 'Lottery' Admissions Proposal

DANVERS, MA — A proposed statewide admission lottery system for vocational high schools — which would replace the current interview process — amid soaring demand, "misses the point entirely," according to Essex Tech Superintendent Heidi Riccio.

Riccio sent a letter to Patch opposing the efforts to institute the lottery system that supporters say would create a more equitable admissions process for students who would not be best served in a traditional comprehensive high school setting.

But Riccio said the rising demand for vocational education — both among those who plan to enter a trade profession directly out of high school and those students who intend to go on to a two- or four-year college — is an indication that vocational school seating should be expanded to meet that demand.

"We're not turning students away because we don't want to serve them — we simply don’t have the space," Riccio said. "Our admissions process is designed to get to know each student and determine who is truly ready to thrive in a career technical and agricultural education environment.

"A lottery removes that human connection — and misses the point entirely."

Riccio said her school received 1,127 applications for the incoming freshman class from its 17 member communities, with 497 students admitted and 536 placed on a waitlist. She said none of the applicants lost points due to disciplinary infractions, challenging narratives that vocational schools exclude students based on behavior.

"At its core, this debate shouldn’t be about how we choose among students — it should be about why we don’t have more seats to meet the demand," Riccio said. "We would gladly welcome more students if we had the funding and infrastructure to support them.

"Strategic growth — not random selection — is how we ensure every student is set up for success."

Essex Tech has been at odds with Danvers officials in recent years over the number of Danvers Public Schools students who attend the school and any plans for expansion. Town officials argue that as that number increases it diverts critical resources from Danvers Public Schools to educate students out of district who, in many cases, would be well-served in the traditional high school setting.

A proposed town meeting warrant article that would cap the number of Danvers students allowed into Essex Tech at 40 each year was proposed in 2022, but was later removed from the warrant.

Former Danvers Town Manager Steve Bartha cited at the time that the town having 20 percent of the Essex Tech student body when its population makes up only 9 percent of the population of the communities from which the regional school draws was overly burdensome on taxpayers.

Riccio countered at the time: "Kids have a choice for education. And that is a right. Kids have a right to have a vocational or agricultural education."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)