Acushnet, Old Rochester tuition deal negotiation progresses

MATTAPOISETT — The Old Rochester Regional School District has formally begun negotiations on a tuition deal with the Acushnet school district. 

Old Rochester Superintendent Michael Nelson announced this step towards bringing Acushnet high schoolers to Mattapoisett at the school committee’s Thursday, Jan. 15  meeting. 

Some students from other districts already attend Old Rochester through school choice, which allows students to attend a public school in a district other than their own if there are seats open.  However, this deal would bring a much larger amount of Acushnet students to the school. 

Nelson said the two districts have met twice in recent weeks to discuss the details of the deal but have yet to formalize an agreement. 

“I do believe we've made some meaningful progress and have come to some verbal agreements on different areas of a potential agreement,” he said. 

The next step, the superintendent said, is to draft a written agreement both districts agree on and present them to their respective school committees. 

He said even if Old Rochester and Acushnet district representatives come to an agreement, both school boards must approve the agreement to move forward. 

Acushnet is also pursuing a tuition agreement with New Bedford High School, and both schools are slated to accept high school students from Acushnet, which does not have its own high school. 

Currently, there are 108 eighth graders in Acushnet’s district who will be placed across the South Coast when they move up to high school. Many who do not chose to attend area vocational-technical high schools will enroll at Old Rochester Regional or New Bedford High School.