The School Committee has voted to not accept school choice students at Rochester Memorial School for the upcoming academic year.

The state program lets out of district students decide to attend a school if it’s participating in school choice. The district advertises openings and selects students by lottery. For each student that attends a school the district is paid $5,000 by the student’s former school.

Superintendent Doug White said the school isn’t prepared to handle additional students at the committee’s Thursday night meeting.

“Class sizes are over 20 student, sometimes creeping up to 25,” White said. “I’m not sure if you have the room or structure in place to support school choice.”

Additionally, he said the school lost two full-time teachers and a few classroom aides due to budget constraints.

“We have some concerns about providing services for the students we currently have,” he said.

Principal Derek Medeiros said the first grade class would have 47 students, possibly 50. Medeiros said three students are prospective right now. The kindergarten class would have 48 students, maybe 49, as Medeiros waits to hear from one more family.

With those numbers, he said the class sizes in those two grades would hold 16 students.

The School Committee voted unanimously to not accept school choice students.