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May 5, 2025
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Focus on Small Business

Customer financing: Two Central Mass. restaurant groups have found a new way to pay for expansions: direct contributions from customers

Mica Kanner-Mascolo

Two Central Massachusetts small businesses have turned to alternative, community-based fundraising methods to support their expansion efforts. Essentially, they are asking customers and others in the community to provide them with money, in exchange for equity or discounted goods and services.

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Today's Poll

Should Massachusetts have an admissions lottery system for vocational technical high schools?
Poll Description

Vocational technical high schools are important partners for many businesses and help feed their workforce pipeline, but more kids are seeking admission to these schools than there are available slots. The Gov. Maura Healey Administration has proposed implementing a lottery system to enroll waitlisted students into vocational technical high schools, with the claim that it will help eliminate discriminatory selection practices that have been the subject of much debate.

While the lottery system would exclude selection based on grades, schools would still be able to reject students due to 10 or more unexcused absences or days of suspensions/expulsions. Critics of the lottery system say that these new guidelines perpetuate the same discriminatory policies, arguing those with 10 or more unexcused absences are disproportionately from large populations of students of color. Others, including the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, argue a lottery system would water down standards and that administration should focus on directing more funds toward capacity-building initiatives at voc-tech schools instead of targeting their admission processes. 

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