Admissions Regulation Changes

In May 2025, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved new policies about statewide access to Career Technical Education (CTE) schools and programs. These changes include a new lottery-based admissions process beginning for the 2026-2027 school year. To learn more about the regulatory changes, please read the official DESE press release.

For more information about the implementation of these changes, please read our Admissions Policy.

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All students applying for admission to Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School must complete the Admission Application and adhere to our Admissions Policy (see below).

Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School admits students from our 17 member communities to our career technical, animal science, and agricultural programs. Member communities include Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Middleton, Nahant, Peabody, Rockport, Salem, Swampscott, Topsfield, and Wenham. Students from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are also eligible to apply for admission to Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School’s animal science, agricultural, and natural resource programs.

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NOTE: “Non-resident” students applying for admission to the seven animal science, agricultural, and natural resource programs are NOT required to complete a Chapter 74 Non-Resident Tuition application in addition to their admission application (See: Specialized Agricultural and Natural Resources Programs Nonresident Student Enrollment Advisory, MA DESE below).

The deadline for the class of 2030 to apply for admission for the 2026-2027 school year has passed.

Those in the class of 2028 and 2029 seeking admission for the 2026-2027 school year should contact the admissions department to submit an application.

Admissions Lottery

In accordance with our Admissions Policy and State Regulations, Essex Tech admits applicants through an electronic, random-number-generated lottery.

To ensure equitable access, our Admissions Allocation Procedure outlines a fair, transparent, lottery-based system for allocating admissions among our member communities.

Lottery Dates and Information

Class of 2030 Admissions Lottery for Fall 2026 Admission

Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Smith Hall, 562 Maple Street, Danvers, MA 01923
Live Stream: Access here
- Live stream “How to view translated captions” instructions: Access here

Certified lottery results will be posted on this page on the evening of February 5, 2026.

Applicants will receive an email notification of their lottery outcome at the primary email address listed on the application within two school days of the lottery. Applicants will either be offered Conditional Acceptance for Fall 2026 Grade 9 enrollment or be placed on the waitlist. We will accept applicants from the waitlist as space becomes available through September 30, 2026.