Chicopee adopts state-guided weighted lottery for career and technical admissions

The Chicopee City School Committee reviewed and advanced a revised career and technical education admissions policy that uses a “weighted lottery” aligned with state guidelines, district officials said at the Oct. 15 meeting.

Carl Ingram, the district’s CTE director, told the committee that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education required changes intended to address inequities in how students were selected for vocational programs. “Back in May 2025, the Department of Education decided to adopt a lottery system for all career and vocational programs,” Ingram said, and districts may use a straight or a weighted lottery.

Under Chicopee’s approach a student can receive up to three “balls” in the lottery: one for a completed application with proof of residency; a second if the student has fewer than 27 days absent in a specified window (the district tied that threshold to chronic absenteeism metrics); and a third based on discipline records tied to serious incidents. The district will open the application window Nov. 1 and close it Feb. 13; the committee was told it will hold two family information nights, scheduled for Nov. 5 (Chicopee High) and Nov. 6 (Chicopee Comp).

Ingram told the committee the change aims to reduce long wait lists for sought-after programs. He said about 58 students remained on last year’s wait list, and that some slots became available in August when applicants failed to verify residency. He also described capacity constraints in Comp programs such as electrical, carpentry and auto, and said Chicopee High’s pathway programs were near but not over capacity.

Committee members asked about outreach and whether students who came to Chicopee via school choice would be treated equivalently; Ingram confirmed such students are included once they are enrolled in Chicopee at the time of application. The transcript records no roll-call vote on final adoption at the time of Ingram’s presentation; the policy subcommittee and administration will continue the annual review required by state rules.

The presentation included printed materials designed by students in the district’s graphic communications program; Ingram said a revised brochure and promotional items had been distributed to the committee.