School Choice Enrollment Cap Set

School Choice, a program that allows a limited number of students to enroll in other Massachusetts public school districts, by the Westford School Committee and now it has a set number for the near future.

After discussions with town administrators on the upcoming Fiscal Year 2013 budget, Westford School superintendent Bill Olsen recommended to the board an additional 20 students in the 2012/2013 school year and out-of-town students previously enrolled in Westford.

According to Olsen, the move would add another $100,000 to the approximate $2.2 million in revenues the district receives from School Choice, although he believed that further additions wouldn't be advantageous and that this number would likely be stable for the next few years.

School Committee member Erika Kohl, a former School Choice opponent, still was concerned with increased School Choice enrollment. However on Monday night, her opposition was lightened somewhat with Olsen's proposal aiming to stabilize the figure, which she felt was appropriate given stagnant housing sales limiting other enrollment fluctuations and a drop in Grade 3 to 5 enrollment.

"I think in order to keep those levels stable, to have some sort of continuity in bars of levels of that enrollment, it might not be bad to have kids come in and add new revenue," said Kohl. "I'm inclined to support this, although I feel the numbers are still a little high."

The only abstaining vote came from School Committee member Judith Culver, who was also vocal in opposition to School Choice in earlier meetings on the subject.

The Committee's decision would have no affect on School Choice students currently enrolled in the district and each year the board will have to vote on whether to continue the program in Westford.