Medfield School Committee Votes 5-0 to Opt Out of School Choice Again

MEDFIELD -- May 14, 2026, Medfield School Committee rejects school choice for the 36th consecutive year as override vote looms. The committee voted 5-0 Thursday to opt out of the Massachusetts inter-district school choice program for 2026-2027, with Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Marsden citing a roughly $15,000 gap between the district's per-pupil spending of more than $20,000 and the state's unchanged $5,000 reimbursement rate, which has not been adjusted since the program's 1991 inception. Vice Chair Leo Brehm, who moved the opt-out, reported receiving approximately 43 emails opposing participation; Chair Michelle Kirkby said community feedback centered on protecting class sizes and student supports. Resident Chris McCue Potts challenged the committee's reliance on a one-page superintendent's memo, citing DESE data showing the high school at 46 percent of assessed capacity, and argued that additional students could strengthen teams and ensembles rather than crowd out residents. Member-at-Large Roseli Weiss suggested the committee study participating districts over the coming year to support a more data-driven public discussion in future cycles. The committee also unanimously approved three 2027 overnight field trips, a music department trip to Universal Studios in Orlando ($4,000 in early donations already received), a world language trip to France at just under $4,500 per student, and a Costa Rica Spanish immersion trip at approximately $3,600 per student, while Marsden reported that 16 employees who received reduction-in-force notices will be rehired and that 22 teaching positions remain at risk pending the June 8 override vote.