Duxbury School Committee Votes to Opt Out of School Choice Program for 2024-2025

DUXBURY, MA (video in two parts)- May 15 - The Duxbury School Committee voted unanimously to exempt the district from participating in the school choice program for the 2024-2025 school year during their recent meeting. This decision means students from other districts will not be able to attend Duxbury Public Schools in the coming academic year.

Superintendent Danielle Klingaman presented the annual opportunity to discuss school choice, explaining that if the committee doesn't vote, it's assumed the district would opt into the program. Klingaman recommended against participating, citing historical precedent and ongoing concerns.

"We have historically not voted to accept students from other school districts and opted out of school choice," Klingaman stated. "We've cited space concerns and potential drains on our resources."

The school choice program allows students from surrounding communities to attend schools in participating districts. The student's home community would pay the per-pupil expenditure to the receiving district. While some schools in Massachusetts do opt into this program, Duxbury has consistently chosen not to participate.

Klingaman highlighted recent discussions and initiatives that factored into the recommendation. "Something that we've talked about through strategic planning and through contract negotiations is just really focusing on our recommended class sizes and caseload size limitations," she explained.

These efforts to maintain optimal class sizes could be compromised by accepting students from other districts. Klingaman noted, "It can be challenging if you start opening your doors to other communities to have new students coming in."

The superintendent provided a memo to the committee outlining the reasons for recommending against school choice participation. She emphasized that while some districts in the state do take advantage of this option, Duxbury's focus remains on serving its current student population effectively.

Following Klingaman's presentation, committee member Matt Gambino moved to exempt the district from participating in school choice for the 2024-2025 school year. The motion was seconded and passed without further discussion, indicating the committee's alignment with the superintendent's recommendation.

This decision continues Duxbury's long-standing practice of not participating in the school choice program. By opting out, the district aims to maintain control over class sizes and resource allocation, ensuring they can meet the needs of their current student population without additional strain.