School Choice
MANCHESTER ESSEX REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM
UPDATE:
Thank you for submitting a School Choice application to the Manchester Essex Regional School District.
The Manchester Essex Regional School District does not anticipate holding a School Choice lottery. If circumstances should change, we will reach out with an update, including available grade levels and an opportunity to confirm your continued interest in participating.
Thank you for your interest in the Manchester Essex Regional School District.
School Choice Lottery
The Manchester Essex Regional School District School Choice application for the 2026-2027 School Year is now closed. The final submission date was February 25th, 2026 at 5:00PM.
The school choice selection must be free from any type of discrimination. Because the number of applications received usually exceeds the number of slots available, a lottery system is used to ensure fairness in the random selection process. On the day of the lottery, names are randomly drawn. Acceptance of students will be conditional upon availability of space within each class.
School Choice Policies
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 76, Section 12B was enacted in 1991 to allow parents/guardians to send their children to public schools in communities other than the one in which they reside. Students must be residents of Massachusetts to participate in the state’s inter-district school choice program. The program, enacted under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 76, Section 12B, allows students to attend public schools in a different Massachusetts town than their own, provided the receiving district has available space and accepts non-resident students.
The Manchester Essex Regional School District currently participates in accepting out-of-district students from all communities outside the Manchester Essex region in Grades K through 12. MERSD will determine the grade level and the number of openings that will be available for the following School Year. School Choice students are accepted for the fall only. Please note: intra-district placement is not an option for Manchester and Essex residents.
Siblings
The state recognizes the difficulty parents have if siblings are separated in different school districts. Thus, in 1994, an amendment to the School Choice law was enacted: “Any sibling of a student already enrolled in the receiving district shall receive priority for admission to said district.” Once those preferences are honored, the remaining openings must be filled through a random selection process. If the number of siblings applying for a certain grade level exceeds the number of slots available, then a sibling lottery will take place, and no other applicants will be considered.
Yearly Application Process
Once a non-resident student has been admitted under the School Choice program, the student has the right to remain in that district until graduation from high school unless there is a lack of funding for the program. This right exists even if the school district decides that it will no longer participate in the School Choice program. If an applicant is not chosen in the lottery system, a new application must be submitted for the following school year during the application process time frame.
School Choice Transportation
Transportation for School Choice students is to be provided by their parents/guardians.