South Shore Regional School District Votes Against School Choice Program
Committee unanimously rejects participation for 2025-2026 school year; South Shore Tech announces strict new cell phone policy
HANOVER - April 16 - The South Shore Regional School District School Committee votes unanimously not to participate in the school choice program for the 2025-2026 school year, citing the district's established process for non-resident students.
"We have historically not participated in school choice," Superintendent Tom Hickey explains during the public hearing. "The state asks all school districts to take up the matter in the springtime."
The committee's decision maintains the district's longstanding position on school choice, with Hickey noting that the district already has "a policy on non-resident students that's covered for vocational schools."
The vote follows a brief public hearing where no community members offered comments on the matter. The committee closed the hearing and immediately moved to the formal vote rejecting participation in the program.
South Shore Technical High School plans to implement a strict new cell phone policy in the upcoming school year that will effectively remove phones from learning environments.
"Cell phones essentially will not be in our school next year," explains Assistant Principal Sandra Baldner during the meeting. "We are not going to collect them, but the assumption is that they are not in learning environments at all."
Under the new policy, students will have access to their phones only during lunch periods and while passing between classes. Once in classrooms, students must put their phones away completely.
"That includes students who are making their way to the nurse's office, students making their way to the restroom, students making their way to specialist offices," Baldner adds. "Phones will not be allowed during the school day to focus on what is most important—learning and interpersonal communication."
The policy emerges from collaboration between the school council, which includes parent representatives, student representatives, and school staff. Administrators have already presented the plan to the Parents Association and discussed it with several students.
"In general, the students were—it was well received by the students," Baldner notes. "We do expect there to be some stumbling blocks next year, but we expect it to be a learning curve that is well worth it."
Cohasset member George Cooney expresses strong support for the new policy, stating, "I am so happy to see the cell phone program, or lack thereof, going forward. I've been a teacher, and I've been head-to-head competition with a cell phone, and it's a very up-level battle. So I think that's only going to make sense."
The meeting also highlights several other initiatives and achievements at South Shore Technical High School:
- The Summer Discovery Program for rising 6th through 8th graders has nearly sold out with over 200 seats filled. The program runs two sessions in July and showcases 11 of the school's 12 vocational programs.
- The school has applied for nearly $4 million in grant funding to support its CTI evening school program for the next two school years.
- The horticulture landscape construction program won first place at the FFA convention, with both the nursery landscape team and horticulture floral team qualifying to represent Massachusetts at the national level.
- Two students have been elected as state officers for FFA—a first in the school's history.
- The allied health program celebrated its CNA pinning ceremony, with the entire senior class passing their CNA exams.
- The school is sending 38 students to the SkillsUSA state convention in early May.
The meeting concludes with meeting of the School Building Committee, and an update on the project, which is currently in the design development phase. The project team reports a savings of nearly $400,000 from the feasibility study agreement.
The building's design draws inspiration from New England farmhouses but with contemporary elements. The structure features three main materials: masonry at the base, insulated metal panels on the academic wings, and precast concrete sandwich panels for the gymnasium, auditorium, and shop buildings.
"We understand the need to have durable materials," explains the project representative. "With a single precast panel, you can get that entire wall built inside and out and get that durable finish on the inside of the shops where you want it."
The design includes strategic use of standing seam metal roofs and vegetated "green" roofs on some flat sections to reduce glare and absorb rainfall. The project team is also making provisions for potential future solar panels.
Construction is expected to begin in spring or summer 2026, with the school scheduled to open in fall 2028. The project team plans to start the site plan review process in June, working with local planning boards and the Conservation Commission to secure necessary approvals.