The Lowell Public Schools policy subcommittee voted to move a Chapter 74 vocational-technical education admissions policy to a second reading after reviewing draft language that governs enrollment and lottery selection for district vocational programs.

The policy, required for Lowell High School and the district to participate in Chapter 74 vocational programs, will return to the full committee for a second reading, subcommittee members said. A motion to advance the policy was made by Michelle Rossi and seconded by Mr. Conway; a roll call recorded Mr. Carmichael voting yes and the subcommittee chair recording three ayes on the motion.

Why it matters: Chapter 74 governs vocational-technical education program approval in Massachusetts; districts must adopt an admissions policy to enroll students in specialized vocational programs. The subcommittee’s action preserves the timeline required for Lowell to submit required documents for program eligibility.

What the subcommittee discussed: Staff and the presenter told members the admissions policy must be submitted annually and that current draft language leaves selection criteria open. The policy, as reviewed, relies on a random lottery when applications exceed available seats and contains no weighted criteria. The presenter said the policy can be revised in future years if local experience shows imbalances (for example, skewed gender representation among applicants).

Officials’ next steps: The subcommittee agreed to present the reviewed policy at the next full school committee meeting for the formal second reading and any further revisions. No final enrollment rules beyond the current open lottery were adopted at this meeting.

Votes at a glance: Motion to move the Chapter 74 vocational-technical education admissions policy to second reading — moved by Michelle Rossi, seconded by Mr. Conway. Roll-call excerpted at the meeting recorded Mr. Carmichael voting “yes” and the chair announcing “3 ayes.” The motion advanced.

Ending: The subcommittee will forward the revised policy text to the full school committee; staff and the Association of School Committees presenter will circulate a finalized draft to committee members ahead of the next meeting.