Old Rochester, Acushnet negotiate tuition deal

ACUSHNET — Acushnet students could come to Old Rochester Regional High School if a new tuition agreement is approved.

The Acushnet School Committee opened negotiations with Old Rochester Regional, New Bedford and Fairhaven High Schools after a Tuesday, Dec. 9 school board meeting. 

Acushnet does not have its own public high school, and it has historically sent students to Old Colony Regional Vocational High School, Fairhaven High School and New Bedford High School. 

The district’s current tuition deals with Fairhaven and New Bedford are set to expire next year, and Acushnet has been considering new options. Old Rocheter, Fairhaven, New Bedford and Freetown-Lakeville School District officials met with the board in August to express their interest in accepting Acushnet students.

Old Rochester Superintendent Michael Nelson said negotiations will occur through January. Both parties plan to negotiate specific terms, including tuition rates. 

“At this point, no final decisions have been made and the focus will be on negotiations and whether or not agreeable terms can be reached that make sense for all parties,” Nelson wrote. 

If negotiations continue, the first freshman students from the Acushnet deal would be welcomed in the fall of 2026.

Some Acushnet students 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.  

"Thus far, we have appreciated the opportunity to be part of this process with other incredible school districts and are excited about the possibilities," Nelson wrote.

Superintendent of Acushnet Schools Paula Bailey said Acushnet selected Old Rochester and New Bedford High Schools for negotiations because each high school provides strong academics and a wide range of extracurriculars and vocational opportunities.  

“These agreements allow Acushnet to provide families with meaningful choice while ensuring predictable tuition structures and continuity for students,” Bailey wrote. 

There are currently 108 Acushnet eighth graders across the district who will be enrolled in one of the high schools when they graduate. 

“At the center of every conversation has been one guiding principle: doing what is best for Acushnet students, now and in the years ahead,” Bailey wrote.