Old Rochester Regional High School will continue to accept school choice students, but for the first time since 2009 the number of available slots hasn’t increased.

ORR School Committee members unanimously approved capping the number of school choice students at 75. Superintendent Doug White and school administrators recommended the move.

He noted more than 75 school choice students will attend the district next year because the number of graduating seniors was less than anticipated.

“At some point, it should be a very smooth transition of the numbers going out and the numbers coming in,” White said. “We’re dealing with that transition.”

Part of the transition includes 12 school choice students who will be moving from eight grade to ninth grade White said. Currently there are 70 school choice students enrolled in the junior and high schools.

While the slots remained the same, White said administrators favored participating in the school choice program.

Committee member Peter Bangs asked if opting out of the program would affect the district. By June 1, school committee members may withdraw from school choice.

Program students would remain in the district, White said. No new students are accepted as the current class works their way through the system. When school choice students enter a district $5,000 is given to that district in tuition from the state.

Each year, the district must determine the number of spaces available to school choice students before May 1.

In 2009, committee members opted into the program by making 18 slots available. The years that followed brought slot increases of 16, 20, and 21 from 2010 through 2012.

If school choice applications exceed the spaces available a random drawing is held. District officials may consider a students discipline record. Also, any sibling of a student already enrolled in the receiving district will get priority during admission consideration.