DANVERS — As Massachusetts officials consider shifting vocational school admissions to a lottery system, Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School (Essex Tech) urges leaders to focus on meeting rising student demand—not replacing a system that already works.
For the incoming freshman class, Essex Tech—a regional public high school serving 17 member communities—received 1,127 applications. The school interviewed every applicant and ultimately admitted 497 students, placing another 536 on a waitlist. Importantly, none of the applicants lost points due to disciplinary infractions, challenging narratives that vocational schools exclude students based on behavior.
“We’re not turning students away because we don’t want to serve them—we simply don’t have the space,” said Superintendent Heidi T. Riccio, Ed.D. “Our admissions process is designed to get to know each student and determine who is truly ready to thrive in a career technical and agricultural education environment. A lottery removes that human connection—and misses the point entirely.”
Essex Tech offers 26 hands-on career technical and agricultural programs in which students spend more than half of their time learning industry-relevant skills. The school’s mission is deeply tied to preparing students for meaningful careers and citizenship through professionalism, determination, and academic excellence. That foundation, leaders say, begins with students who want to be there.
“At its core, this debate shouldn’t be about how we choose among students—it should be about why we don’t have more seats to meet the demand,” said Dr. Riccio. “We would gladly welcome more students if we had the funding and infrastructure to support them. Strategic growth—not random selection—is how we ensure every student is set up for success.”
To learn more about Essex Tech’s admissions process and offerings, visit essexnorthshore.org/admissions.
