Orleans School Committee Votes to Open Kindergarten to Outside Students for First Time

ORLEANS — April 13, 2026 — Orleans School Committee votes to participate in school choice for the first time in at least seven years. The committee voted unanimously Monday to open six kindergarten seats to non-resident students under the state's inter-district school choice program for fiscal year 2027 — reversing a pattern that Finance Committee liaison Nick, of 31 Loomis Lane, said had repeated for seven consecutive years. Member Ian Mack drove the motion, arguing that Orleans Elementary's projected single kindergarten classroom and the school's long-term enrollment decline — from 300 students in 2000 to roughly 150 today — made action urgent. "Let's let some young kids that we do a fantastic job at early intervention — let's let them into the kindergarten," Mack said. Superintendent Scott Brand said he would develop the application and lottery framework in compliance with DESE regulations and bring details back in May. The committee also voted unanimously to request up to $138,000 from the town's special education stabilization fund through the Select Board to cover a roughly $57,000 mid-year deficit driven by unanticipated out-of-district placements and transportation costs, with the formal request due to the Select Board by May 6.