Tom Dunn and Matt O’Connor Author Article in AGC MA Future Builders Publication: Admissions to Career Technical Education Programs Changing to Lottery System

In an article published by the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts (AGC MA), Pierce Atwood attorneys Tom Dunn and Matt O’Connor discuss the challenges facing Massachusetts students interested in attending a technical or vocational school.

In May 2025, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to change the admissions process at career technical education (CTE) programs across the Commonwealth, moving to a lottery system instead of the prior system that was based on grades, attendance, and disciplinary records. Many saw the previous system as disproportionately excluding marginalized students, such as low-income students, disabled students, and students of color.

This change to the admissions process is scheduled to begin with ninth grade students who will enter CTE programs in fall 2026. And while some are critical of this change, the impact of the lottery admissions policy remains to be seen.

Please click here for the complete article, which beings on page seven.