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 soon, so 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 2026-27.

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.  

"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.