The BVVRSD admits students and makes available to them its programs, privileges, and courses of study without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, sexual orientation, or disability. 

If a student’s primary home language is not English, a qualified representative from BVT will assist the applicant in completing the necessary forms and assist in interpreting during the entire application and admission process upon the request of the applicant. All admissions materials, tours, open houses, and applications are made available in multiple languages via our website, language interpreters, or by contacting the Admission Office.  

BVT Admissions Office
admissions@valleytech.k12.ma.us
508–529–7758  x3020

Students with disabilities may voluntarily identify themselves to BVT and request reasonable accommodations during the application and admission process. Neither a student’s disability nor the primary language of their home will have any effect on their admission to BVT.  Consistent with Massachusetts regulations, BVT has created a plan with “deliberate, specific strategies to promote equal educational opportunities.”

BVT is committed to providing educational opportunities to students experiencing homelessness. Please contact BVT’s liaison Mr. David Champagne, Assistant Principal at 508–529–7758  x3024 or dchampagne@valleytech.k12.ma.us with any questions on how BVT can assist in the application process. Students experiencing homelessness may not be denied lottery weights because they cannot provide the requested proof of residency.
  
Information on limited English proficiency, disability, or homeless status submitted voluntarily by the applicant, for the purpose of receiving assistance and accommodations during the entire application and admission process, will not have any effect on their admission to the school.

BVT is a career-technical high school located in Upton, Massachusetts.  

• Mr. Anthony E. Steele II, Superintendent-Director,
  Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District
  asteele@valleytech.k12.ma.us
  508–529–7758
   
• Michele S. Denise, Principal
  Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School
  mdenise@valleytech.k12.ma.us
  508–529–7758
   
• Mikayla A. Corda, Admissions Coordinator
  Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School
  mcorda@valleytech@k12.ma.us
  508–529–7758  x3020

It is the responsibility of the BVVRSD’s Superintendent-Director to supervise the administration of the policies and procedures used to admit and enroll students, consistent with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidance.  

The BVT School Committee will annually review and approve the District’s Admission Policy no later than October 1st unless requesting an extension from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).  

A copy of the approved Admission Policy will be made available in the following locations:

• On file with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
• On file with the BVT Human Resources Department and in the District’s Policy Manual
• Admissions page of the BVT website
• Included in the annual publication of the BVT Program of Studies 
• Linked to the admissions application
• Linked to a copy of admissions decline letters

Any eighth, ninth, tenth or eleventh grade student who is a resident of the BVVRSD (Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Millville, Milford, Mendon, Millbury, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton, and Uxbridge), who expects to be promoted to the grade they seek to enter by their local district, is eligible to apply for fall admission to BVT.  In order to enroll at BVT, the applicant must have passed courses in English language arts, or its equivalent, and mathematics for the school year immediately preceding their enrollment at BVT. In order to enroll at BVT, the applicant must have completed the required number of school days required for promotion as prescribed by the DESE for the school year immediately preceding their enrollment at BVT. Offers of admission are subject to being rescinded if standards of promotion are not met. 

Students may only be admitted if they have been promoted to the grade they are seeking to enter, so students should be aware that their admission is conditional — if they are not ultimately promoted to enter the grade they have applied for, their admission will be rescinded. Resident students who meet the minimum requirements for admission shall be admitted prior to acceptance of any non-resident students.

Non-resident students are able to apply, however priority for admission is given to BVVRSD residents according to the District Agreement before any non-resident students. 

APPORTIONMENT
BVVRSD recognizes that any form of a lottery-based admissions process requires a student apportionment system for each of the district’s member towns due to unpredictable, widely varying applicant trends year over year. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education addresses apportionment (particularly in districts that do not have apportionment provisions within their regional agreements) by empowering the regional school committees to define apportionment as necessary within its admissions policy. This admissions policy is subject to change annually by the BVVRSD’s School Committee.

The “Annual Grade 9 Capacity” shall be the maximum total number of available seats for the incoming 9th grade class and will be determined annually by the BVT School Committee.

The “Foundation Ratio” is determined annually by the four-year average of 8th grade students in each town divided by the four-year average of the total number of 8th grade students attending the 11 school districts within the 13 member towns. The single-member town enrollment numerator and the total 11 district enrollment denominator shall be based on the average of the four most recent October 1 enrollment figures posted by DESE to the respective school district profiles. Utilizing this rolling averaging technique respects the dynamic nature of increasing and decreasing enrollment within BVVRSD’s member towns. The Foundation Ratio is expressed as a percentage of a member town’s student population relative to the other member towns, and thus represents the statistically ideal percentage of students enrolled at BVT.  Note: BVT’s two regional feeder systems, Mendon Upton Regional School District (MURSD) and Blackstone Millville Regional (BMR), will be requested to provide BVT with student residency data not available on the DESE website in order to derive Foundation Ratios for Mendon, Upton, Blackstone, and Millville.

Although several member towns are at or near their Foundation Ratio, some are not. To ease the transition toward Foundation Ratio targets for all member towns, the BVVRSD will analyze the “Prior Enrollment Trend,” which is determined for each town by averaging the total number of students from said town enrolled at BVT over the past four October 1 submissions to DESE. The Prior Enrollment Trend will serve as the starting point for BVVRSD’s annual determination of the number of seats allocated to each town.  

The “Minimum Seat Allocation” for each town, determined annually at the discretion of BVVRSD, is achieved by gradually adding or subtracting seats from a town’s Prior Enrollment Trend number each year until the Prior Enrollment Trend synchronizes with the Foundation Ratio. The graduality of these adjustments toward Foundation Enrollment targets will be applied equally to all BVVRSD member towns.  

A consistent process for 9th grade applicants will be held for each BVVRSD member town. The qualified applicants residing in a given town will be randomly drawn using a unique identifier for each applicant, resulting in an ordered set from first to last. The Minimum Seat Allocation will determine the cutoff point for acceptances in each town lottery. Should vacancies occur in a town’s set of applicants, either by declination of acceptance or withdrawal, the next applicant from the town’s ordered set result will be offered acceptance. If the town’s Minimum Seat Allocation exceeds the number of qualified applicants, all qualified applicants from said town will be accepted. 

Grade 10–12 vacancies will be distributed to towns at the discretion of the BVVRSD. Similar to the process used to determine Minimum Seat Allocation, consideration will be given to Prior Enrollment Trends and Foundation Targets; however, the pool of applicants interested in a program-specific vacancy may or may not align with residency.   

NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS
Students who are not residents of BVVRSD member towns are eligible to apply for admission to BVT. Please be aware that residents of BVVRSD who meet the minimum admission requirements will be admitted before any non-resident students. Students and families can find information on the CTE Nonresident Student Tuition Program online. 

HOMESCHOOLED STUDENTS
Students who are homeschooled may apply to attend BVT full-time and will be subject to the same admissions standards as other applicants. Students who enroll in BVT must enroll full-time. At the time of application, BVT will require homeschool applicants to supply BVVRSD with a letter verifying and approving the homeschool curriculum from the supervising School Committee. 

TRANSFER STUDENTS
Students already participating in state-designated CTE programs at another school may apply for admission to BVT and will be subject to the same admissions standards as other applicants. Transfer students from a like Chapter 74 State Approved Program are eligible to apply for admission during the school year to grades 10–12 at BVT, provided they expect to be promoted to the grade they seek to enter by their current school. 

SCHOOL CHOICE STUDENTS
BVVRSD does not participate in the inter-district school choice program. The inter-district school choice program, M.G.L. c. 76, § 12B, allows parents/guardians to send their children to schools in communities other than the city or town in which they reside. 

WITHDRAWN STUDENTS
Students who have withdrawn or are removed from BVT are not eligible for lotteries in subsequent years.

BVT maintains a calendar of events on its website where it provides information on the admissions process, as well as other information about its programs. Students and their families can request hard copies of the calendar, viewbook, program of studies, or program brochures by calling or e-mailing the Admissions Office at 508–529–7758  x3020 or admissions@valleytech.k12.ma.us. 

BVT disseminates information about the school and its programs through a variety of methods.

a.  Representatives from BVT will make themselves available to visit each sending school in the fall (October/November) to meet 7th and 8th graders and conduct an informational presentation about the vocational-technical-academic offerings available at BVT. This program consists of viewing a video about the school, a question-and-answer period, and a review of dates relative to tours of the school, Admissions Open House, and the due date for completed applications.  

b.  The Admissions Office will offer a series of evening virtual information sessions for interested parents/students. If an applicant’s primary and/or preferred language is not English, this policy and all associated documents will be translated into the primary and/or preferred language upon request. These events will be advertised on the school’s website and via a direct mailing and/or to all district 7th & 8th grade students. This program consists of viewing a video about the school, a question-and-answer period, and a review of dates relative to tours of the school, Admissions Open House, and the due date for completed applications.  

c.  Admissions Open House Tour Events are scheduled in mid-November/early-December. Prospective students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) have an opportunity to visit all vocational-technical programs and speak with teachers, as well as view a presentation about all offerings. Language interpreters are onsite at the school during the Admissions Open House and are available throughout the evening to assist with tours and to answer questions. 

d.  Parent(s)/guardian(s) may schedule individual and/or group visits at a mutually convenient time. If the agreed-upon time slot for a tour occurs during the applicant’s school day, the Admissions Office will provide confirmation to the applicant’s current school that the applicant attended a tour during this time. Such tours may not be counted as unexcused absences by sending districts.

e.  Brochures, which describe vocational technical programs including academic courses, sports, student activities, cooperative education, and special education resources, are distributed during the 8th grade visitations, attached to our school’s website, and available during the Admissions Open House. BVT makes available all admission materials including these documents, resources, and the application in multiple languages. 

APPLICATION TIMELINE
Students interested in applying to BVT for fall admission to the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades must follow the timeline below: 

Fall Admission to the 9th Grade

• Application will be available: November 1st 
• Application deadline*: January 15th 
• Completed applications received by January 15th will be entered into the lottery. 
• Applications received after January 15th will not be eligible for the lottery.

* Applications are considered to be on time if received under the following conditions:

• Submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. EST via the online application portal on January 15th 
• With a postal mark dated January 15th or prior
• Hand delivered to the Main Office at BVT by 3:00 p.m. on January 15th 

Fall Admission to the 10th or 11th Grade
Fall Admission to the Two-Year Drafting Program

• Application will be available: November 1st
• Application deadline*: April 1st 
• Completed applications received by April 1st will be entered into the lottery. 
• Applications received after April 1st will not be eligible for the lottery. 

* Applications are considered to be on time if received under the following conditions:

• Submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. EST via the online application portal on April 1st  
• With a postal mark dated April 1st or prior
• Hand delivered to the Main Office at BVT by 3:00 p.m. on April 1st  

Both the online application portal and paper versions of the application will be available each year on November 1st. 

Fall Admission to the 9th, 10th, and 11th Grade
Admissions applications may be obtained in the following locations. If an applicant’s primary and/or preferred language is not English, this policy and all associated documents will be translated into the primary and/or preferred language upon request.

• Online application submission portal on the BVT website
• By requesting a paper copy from the BVT Admissions Office at admissions@valleytech.k12.ma.us or 508–529–7758  x3020 
• By obtaining a paper application from their local school guidance counselor 

 

PARTS OF THE APPLICATION
There are three steps of the initial application process to be eligible for the weighted lottery:  

• Step 1: Application Demographics
• Step 2: Proof of Residency
• Step 3: Completion of Awareness

Step 1: Application Demographics 
Student applicants will complete an online or paper application requiring the submission of pertinent information, including the applicant’s full name, date of birth, application year, mailing address, town of residency, name of parent/guardian, parent/guardian e-mail, and contact phone number.  

The address declared on the application will be the town or city in which the applicant’s name will be listed for the lottery. If the applicant comes from a split household, the address listed on the application should reflect the location that the student spends 51% of their time (M.G.L. c. 76, § 5).  

At the time of application, students will indicate their top ten choices of programs in ranked order. This information is not part of the weighted lottery nor is it a factor in the process other than to serve as informational material for BVT to plan for program needs.
 

Step 2: Proof of Residency
Confirmation of residency must be completed prior to participation in the BVT lottery. Ahead of completing the application, it is recommended that the applicant’s parent/guardian gather the following documentation and scan and/or send pictures of the required residency verifications to your computer files before beginning the application process. The documents that will be required to prove residency are:

• Your child’s birth certificate, adoption/name change court documentation/immigration documentation
• 3 proofs of town residency:
  •  A copy of your license/state-issued ID with address
  •  A copy of the mortgage/lease/rental agreement/property tax bill.* 
  •  A copy of the cellphone, utility, or credit card bill sent to your address. * 
     * Details of the statement, such as account number or payment amount, can be redacted. 
• If applicable, the custody agreement or divorce decree containing details regarding the custody of the student. *
  * Details of the agreement, not pertaining to the physical custody, can be omitted or redacted.

If you do not have scan/capture ability, these documents can be sent by regular mail to:

Blackstone Valley Tech
Attn: Admissions
65 Pleasant Street
Upton, MA 01568

Or by e-mail to admissions@valleytech.k12.ma.us or dropped off at BVT's Main Office.

Change of Residency
Before the Lottery: In the event that the District becomes aware of a student’s change of residency before a lottery is drawn, the student’s residency will be changed accordingly.  

Admitted Student: In the event that the District becomes aware of a change of residency (within the 13 member towns) for an admitted student after the lottery, the student would be reclassified to the new town of residence for enrollment reporting. Such a reclassification would open up a seat with the original town only if the new town of residence had an open seat at the time of reclassification. 

In the event that the District becomes aware that an admitted student moves outside of the BVVRSD 13 members towns, the student will no longer be eligible for the seat and will be removed from the admissions process. 

“On Time” Waiting List Student: If a student was placed on the waiting list as part of the initial lottery and there is a subsequent change of residency to another member town, the student will be placed at the bottom of the new town’s “on time” waiting list. 

Late Applicant/On the “Late Application” Waiting List Student: Since there is not a single fixed waiting list as with the “on time” lottery and published waiting lists, the student’s residency will be adjusted, and the student is eligible if seats open up in the new town of residence. 

The district reserves the right to not admit students whose change of residency was initiated for the purpose of gaining admission to the school. If there is an unresolved residency question, the district reserves the right to proceed with other students on the waiting list pending a resolution. 

Step 3: Completion of Awareness 
To be entered into the BVT Admissions Lottery, a completed application must be submitted.  A completed application will include student awareness in career technical education and BVT.  A student must demonstrate that awareness through participating in or completing one of the following:

• Attendance at a BVT Open House
• Participation in a virtual student information session
• Participation in a tour of BVT or one of its programs
• Completion of the BVT Admissions video module

Attendance and completion will be taken through a QR code, online survey, or paper record at each of these events to verify participation. BVT will confirm the applicant’s completion of awareness via verification correspondence prior to the lottery.  

ANNUAL ADMISSION APPLICATION PROCESS 
BVT utilizes a yearly method for their application and admissions process. Applications do not carry over from year to year. An applicant must reapply each year if not selected for admission in a given year.  

The waitlist for a given school year will conclude on December 15th. No admissions will be granted after this date. 

WEIGHTED LOTTERY FOR 9TH GRADE APPLICANTS
When BVT receives more applications than it has available seats, BVVRSD will apply a weighted lottery, sorted by member towns, to determine which students it will admit. The BVT School Committee has approved the following weighted lottery.  

BVVRSD’s weighted lottery will consist of three criteria. None of these criteria will be scored, and each is subject to the following restrictions on use:

• Completed Application: Students will receive this weight if they complete the application, which includes all demographic information, proof of residency, and one of the awareness opportunities.  No student will gain entrance into the lottery without meeting this first criteria. Details on this process can be found in the “Application Section” of this policy.
   
• Attendance: Students will receive this weight if they have fewer than 27 unexcused, full-day absences over the 270 school days prior to the date of their application. No data before their seventh-grade year will be considered. 
   
• Discipline: Students will receive this weight if they have not been suspended or expelled pursuant to M.G.L. c.71 §37H or §37H1/2 for either of the following on school premises or at school-sponsored or school-related events over the 270 school days prior to the date of their application:
  •  Possession of a dangerous weapon; or
  •  Assault of educational staff 
  
  Provided that such suspensions or expulsions were in connection with felonies that have been adjudicated or in which the student has made an admission of guilt in court. No data before their seventh-grade year will be considered.

The lottery for 9th grade applicants will take place annually in mid-to-late March. A notice to all applicants will announce the lottery date and how to view the lottery no less than two weeks prior to the lottery. The lottery will be live via a virtual or in-person session.

Students are drawn randomly and placed in a sequential order using a unique identification number for each student. The lottery results by town will be posted on the school website.

Admitted students have ten (10) calendar days to accept or reject an admission offer. If the offer is rejected or if there is no response, the student is removed from the lottery.

The offer of admission into BVT does not guarantee enrollment. All portions of the registration process must be completed within the deadlines provided and include the submission of transcripts, health records, and the successful completion grade level for promotion.

WEIGHTED LOTTERY FOR 10th , 11th  & 12th GRADE APPLICANTS
Following the same application process as listed in the 9th grade section of the Selection Process in this Admission Policy (Section VI), students may apply for fall admission through a weighted lottery.  

Admission into grades 10-12 is program specific depending on seat availability, which is determined by the BVT Administration. There is no seat apportionment for grade 10–12.  A lottery of applicants, by grade level, will be held. Grade level lotteries will be held when and if seats are made available for grades 10–12. Grade level lotteries are only run if there are more applicants than seats, and any such lotteries will follow a similar notification process as with 9th grade applications.  

Eligible resident applicants are admitted before any non-resident applicants. Previously admitted students who may be on a program-specific waiting list are offered placement before any new applicants are offered admission. 

Admitted students have ten (10) calendar days to accept or reject an admission offer. If the offer is rejected or if there is no response, the student is removed from the lottery for their grade level. 

The offer of admission into BVT does not guarantee enrollment. All portions of the registration process must be completed within the deadlines provided and include the submission of transcripts, health records, and the successful completion grade level for promotion.

The lottery will admit resident students before admitting any non-residents seeking the same program. Non-resident applicants for grades 10–12 will be processed separately. Non-resident applicants would not be eligible unless all resident applicants for a grade level and program have been exhausted. Non-resident lotteries, if needed, will be run in the same way as resident lotteries for grades 10–12.  

WEIGHTED LOTTERY FOR THE TWO-YEAR DRAFTING PROGRAM
A rising junior student (10th grade student at the time of the application), who is a resident of the BVVRSD and is interested in pursuing a training in the drafting trade, is eligible to apply for the two-year Chapter 74 state-approved Drafting program.  

Following the same application process as listed in the 9th grade section of the Selection Process in this Admission Policy (Section VI), students may apply for fall admission to the Drafting program through a weighted lottery.  

The lottery will take place annually prior to May 15th. Student applicants and parent(s)/ guardian(s) will be notified two weeks prior to the lottery date and time. The lottery will be live via a virtual or in-person session. 

The student(s) and parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified of their selection. They will have ten (10) calendar days to accept or decline the offer. If there is a decline, the next person on the lottery driven waitlist will be notified and given the same amount of time to accept or decline. This process will continue until all seats are filled. The process will conclude when all seats are filled or until the first week of September. 

The offer of admission into the two-year Drafting program does not guarantee enrollment. All portions of the registration process must be completed within the deadlines provided and include the submission of transcripts confirming the successful completion of the student’s 9th and 10th grades, and thus, confirming the student’s eligibility for promotion to the 11th grade to be considered eligible for enrollment. 

Students applying for the two-year Drafting program are not eligible for in-school program transfers. 

The lottery will admit resident students before admitting any non-residents seeking the same program.

Prior to the lottery, BVT will issue a verification correspondence to each applicant’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to review their application. The verification will include: if the application was completed or not, their residency status, and the additional lottery weights that the applicant earned. The correspondence will also include the applicant’s unique lottery identification number, the date of the lottery, as well as the process for an appeal and deadline dates. 

Upon receipt of a verification correspondence from BVT, the applicant's parent(s)/guardian(s) may request an appeal of the status of the application, district residency, or assigned weights by sending a letter requesting a review to the Admissions Coordinator within five (5) calendar days of the receipt of the verification letter. The Admissions Coordinator will respond in writing to the letter with the findings of the review within five (5) calendar days. If, after the review, the parent(s)/guardian(s) wish to appeal the pre-lottery verification review, they may do so by sending a letter requesting a meeting with the Superintendent-Director to appeal the Admissions Coordinator’s findings. The Superintendent-Director will respond in writing to the parent(s)/guardian(s) within five (5) calendar days of the receipt of the letter.

After the lottery, the parent(s)/guardian(s) may appeal the results by sending an appeal letter/e-mail the Superintendent-Director within five (5) calendar days of the receipt of the results. The Superintendent-Director will respond in writing to the parent(s)/guardian(s) within fifteen (15) calendar days of the receipt of the lottery results. The Superintendent-Director’s decision is final.

Because BVT offers five or more Chapter 74 state-approved programs, BVT provides a half-year Exploratory program for 9th grade students, which is based on the applicable Vocational Technical Education and Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.  

All 9th grade students enrolled at BVT participate in a vocational-technical Exploratory program (August through December) designed to introduce each student to several career pathways while helping them discover their talents and interests through a brief immersion in different vocational-technical areas. Prior to the Exploratory process, students will rank their top ten program choices. The Vocational Office will schedule their top four choices and the three remaining programs from their top ten selection, if possible. Additionally, BVT will provide exposure to pathways that explore non-traditional careers in compliance with the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV). 

Throughout the Exploratory process, vocational teachers evaluate each student based upon a common rubric/scoring guide. At the conclusion of the Exploratory period, each student selects their program of choice, as well as second through seventh choices from the explored programs, and is placed accordingly. If a student’s desired program is at capacity, they may be placed on that program’s waitlist. 

To assist in the selection process, BVT offers a Freshmen Vocational Career Night, which provides the opportunity for parent(s)/guardian(s) to visit the student’s top four program choices. CTE staff present information pertaining to the program’s curriculum and State frameworks, post-secondary placement and career paths, Co-Op and employment opportunities. Language interpreters are present onsite at the school during the Freshmen Vocational Career Night and are available throughout the evening to assist with presentations in the program areas and answer questions regarding the vocational selection process.

PROGRAM PLACEMENT FOR 10th , 11th  & 12th  GRADE
Students who enroll in BVT after grade 9 will be accepted into a specific technical program upon admission.  Transfer requests in program placement will not be allowed after the completion of the 1st trimester after enrollment. 

The Principal reserves the right to place and/or remove students in any program regardless of choice or score as necessary due to legal, safety, or other such circumstances.
 

• Employs a full-time licensed teacher of English Learners. This teacher serves as a liaison for students and parent(s)/guardian(s) of English Learners and supports students in both their academic and shop courses. 
• Maintains a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team of staff members.
• All staff are provided with yearly training and professional development in support of students with diverse backgrounds.
• All professionally licensed teaching staff are SEI endorsed or enrolled in SEI coursework. 
• Curricular materials within the vocational, academic, and school counseling areas are regularly reviewed for bias and generalizations. 
• Utilizes multilingual and/or multicultural students as ambassadors in the admission process to travel to sending middle schools for presentations about BVT.  
• Employs many internal interpreters while also contracting externally to ensure availability and accessibility for students, parent(s)/guardians(s), and families to all school activities. 
• Conducts aspects of daily routines, such as morning announcements, cafeteria menus, informational student posters, etc., in a variety of languages. 
• Has many student clubs, organizations, and activities that promote causes and celebrations related to diversity, equity, and inclusion of all students.
• BVT holds a comprehensive, on-site parent(s)/guardian(s) orientation to assist families in the transition to BVT. In addition to the in-person orientation, all materials from the orientation can be located on the BVT website.  
• BVT hosts a welcome cookout focused on welcoming students and families. 
• BVT builds in orientation days for all new students. 

The Admissions Office at BVT maintains records of all students who apply, enroll, or are waitlisted, as well as their admission criteria weight, if used, to facilitate analysis of its admissions system and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. BVT provides this information to DESE upon request.