METCO Continues Providing Educational Opportunities

Of the nearly 4,000 students in the Belmont school district, about 125 are taking extra long strides to just get to school on time.

Belmont is one of 30 cities and towns in the metro Boston region participating in the METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunities) program, that provides a suburban public school education for African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students from Boston who are bussed daily to these suburban schools. 

The program was born in the 1960's and was one positive result of the turmoil that characterized Boston and the "de facto segregation" of its schools.

In 1965, Brookline School Committee President Leon Trilling, noting the homogeneity of his student population, helped design a program that would bring Boston students of color to Brookline and other towns. He felt that both Brookline and Boston students would benefit from attending school together.

The idea for METCO was thus born, said Diane Wiltshire, Belmont's METCO director.

The parents of METCO eligible students were not seeking to help integrate suburban schools, but were rather pursuing quality education for their children. 

When METCO was started in September 1966, it was thought to be a temporary three-year program, in place only until the quality of education in Boston improved.

More than 40 years after it was scheduled to end, METCO is now a much more ambitious program than was originally envisioned. Since those first days, thousands of METCO students have graduated from suburban high schools. 

The METCO program has raised student achievement scores, enhanced graduation levels and fostered college attendance for Boston students of color since 1966. METCO students attend college at nearly the same rate as their suburban classmates that are ten percent more than the statewide average.

In turn, it has brought an integrated learning experience to predominantly white student populations in suburban classrooms.

In Belmont, Wiltshire says that METCO students graduating from Belmont High School almost always go on to successful careers. Thelma Burns, former Belmont METCO director, said that many of her students retain contact with host families and friends made in Belmont.

Despite the program's success, all of those interviewed said the challenges currently faced by METCO are increasing. Funding cuts have been severe. One original district, Arlington, had to close its doors to the program due to financial concerns.

In Belmont, Wiltshire is now the only full time staff member. The support staff that was available in earlier years is gone.

John Shandorf, METCO Boston's associate director, said if there were a successful challenge to the racial imbalance law, then METCO would definitely be impacted.

The common theme among METCO officials is the program currently makes available quality education to thousands of Boston students of color, at no cost to the receiving districts, that would not be available to them otherwise.