Vocational high schools are flourishing in Massachusetts, gaining enrollment

A recent report from the Pioneer Institute found vocational-technical (or vo-tech) schools are growing in Massachusetts, despite an overall decrease in public school enrollment.

Because of declining birth rates and the newfound popularity of education alternatives such as homeschooling, K-12 public school enrollment has been decreasing nationwide.

In 2000, Massachusetts had about 980,000 public school students. It declined steadily until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused an even sharper drop, to 911,000.

As of 2024, only 916,000 students are enrolled in public school – an overall 6.5% loss since 2000.

However, the pandemic hit elementary and middle schools much harder than high schools.

Since 2019, Massachusetts high school enrollment has only declined 0.8%. But during this same period, public vocational-technical public schools increased their enrollment by over 5%.

Vo-tech schools are “public high schools of choice that combine academic coursework with training in fields such as health care, constructions, and information technology.”

On the one hand, they’re more challenging to operate because schools must recruit teachers with practical expertise in different vocations as well as academics.

On the other hand, the obvious benefits include students graduating high school with the skills to begin a gainful career.

And like public charter schools, nobody is zoned or assigned to attend a vo-tech school. Students are there because they want to be.

“The dual academic-technical mission have transformed them into schools of choice, and today many operate with waiting lists for admission,” the Pioneer Institute observes. “School leaders pointed to the importance of school choice, hands-on and relevant learning, coherence between standards and culture, and industry partnerships that link classrooms to workforce needs.

“These [industry] partnerships also bring tangible benefits: companies donate equipment, sponsor co-op placements, and open doors for apprenticeships that let students practice skills in authentic settings.”

And it’s not just high schools experiencing a vocational boom.

National Student Clearinghouse reports more college students are enrolling in two-year vocational-technical schools.

Such enrollment is up 20% since the pandemic, attracting 871,000 students – about 4% of the national college population.