Blackstone Valley Regional Technical Vocational High School (BVT) located in Upton serves the towns of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Grafton, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton and Uxbridge as their regional technical high school. For the past several years, BVT has received more than 800 annual applications for admission from the thirteen towns. This year more than 900 students, mostly incoming eighth graders, sought entry to their vocational technical education system.
Superintendent-Director Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick said due to space constraints, BVT is limited to accept approximately 310 students. “Turning away so many eager students is a sad reality we face each spring,” he said.
The growing demand led BVT to pursue a $2.9 million bond last year to expand the student population through the establishment of new programs in Engineering Technology, Veterinary Assisting, and Legal and Protective Services. The proposal did not pass. Fitzpatrick said, “While the proposal did not advance last year, this year’s record-number of applicants further strengthened our resolve that an expansion of Blackstone Valley Tech’s seating is in the best interest of the students, families, and towns we serve.”
Fitzpatrick also said, “The ever-climbing number of applicants is a testament to Valley Tech’s continued success in meeting its mission of providing students with the vocational technical skills necessary for career longevity. Valley Tech students and alumni showcase their valuable skills by making positive contributions to our region’s workforce and communities. Clearly, their shining example has not gone unnoticed by the students and parents of our 13-town district, or for that matter, the Governor of the Commonwealth.”
UPTON DAILY 
we need accessible systems so that students can obtain what they are pursuing in light of learning these vocations, skills, careers; it should “dovetail” with community colleges and not be a separate and “apart” system; also, it shouldnot leave out students who fail the “tests” to get in ;that was the biggest problem when I was a teacher some of my general education students could not pass a test to get into the specialized programs… tests should not be used in these ways… i worry that this fixation on testing has locked up opportunities for students … if we look at the best features of a “magnet” school, I don’t think they would use tests in that way… keep more options open for students who might not be able to get a certain score on a “test”… recommendations of their teachers who know them need to be given a higher priority (plus open up for spaces and more contacts among the schools — community colleges etc)… don’t restrict opportunities to one location in space or geography.