LYNN — Lynn Vocational Technical Institute currently admits 75 percent of its incoming students through a ranking system. The applicants are ranked on their grades, attendance, discipline, guidance counselor recommendations, an “artifact,” and an interview. According to Principal Fred Gallo, the interview is the most influential portion of Lynn Tech’s ranking.
The other 25 percent of students are admitted through a weighted lottery.
But this isn’t how it always was. Increasing the importance of the interview and adding the lottery are aspects Gallo introduced in 2021.
“When I started, one of the first things I did was to look at the admission policy and make some significant changes to it,” Gallo said.
Along with the changes to the interview portion, an artifact portion was added.
“We added what we call an artifact, which is something that the students produce, it lets us know what their interest is in vocational ed,” Gallo said.
Lynn Tech also flattened the curve on the grades criteria. As, Bs, and Cs are all ranked the same in the application.
“This is part of the push to make sure that students that are coming to the vocational school have interest in vocational learning, because, as many people know, the number of seats is much fewer than than the number of [applicants],” Gallo said.
However, the way Lynn Tech currently admits students could be changing soon.
State Sen. John Cronin (D-Fitchburg) and the Vocational Education Justice Coalition have filed Budget Amendment #771, which would would require vocational schools to use a lottery instead of ranking systems.
The current ranking system causes fewer students of color, English-language learners, low-income students, and students with special needs to be admitted, according to a press release from the Vocational Education Justice Coalition.
According to statewide data, 71.8 percent of white applicants were offered a seat in the 2022 school year, while 62.1 percent of students of color who applied were offered a seat.
68.9 percent of non-English-learner applicants were accepted into a vocational school, while 50.7 percent of English-learner applicants were accepted, according to the data.
In 2021, after the Vocational Education Justice Coalition campaigned for three years, the Board of Education passed a policy that required schools to certify that they are complying with civil rights laws. It allowed schools to still use a ranking system.
“The Vocational Education Justice Coalition on Feb. 2, 2023 filed a civil-rights complaint against this admissions policy with the Office of Civil Rights of the US Department of Education,” the press release said.
The Vocational Education Justice Coalition asked Gov. Maura Healey to consider asking the Department of Education to change the current policy.
“However, passing this Budget Amendment would get this done now and we wouldn’t have yet another year of the current discriminatory admissions system limiting fair access to our public schools,” the press release said.
Gallo said he does not agree with the amendment.
“I don’t think it addresses the issue of what’s going on, which is space and vocational education,” Gallo said. “We should be looking at increased capacity in these schools, because there is such a high demand and such a high waiting list.”
The changes that he brought to Lynn Tech’s admission policy are addressing the inequities that the amendment is trying to fix, he said. Gallo said that Lynn Tech’s process ensures that the students who are truly passionate about vocational education are admitted.
The Senate is set to decide on Amendment #771 next week.
