The METCO Program is a grant program funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is a voluntary program intended to expand educational opportunities, increase diversity, and reduce racial isolation, by permitting students in Boston and Springfield to attend public schools in other communities that have agreed to participate.
Earlier this year, Governor Charlie Baker released his budget to the legislature. The METCO line item, 7010-0012, was funded at $20,142,582, which reflects level-funding to the FY16 allocation. The Governor’s actions are a direct testament to how vocal METCO supporters were following the 9C cuts last year. We wish to thank everyone who turned out for last year’s METCO Lobby Day and who contacted the Governor, their Representative and Senator! This year’s Lobby Day will take place on Tuesday, March 15th in the Nurse’s Hall and The Grand Staircase, Massachusetts State House, 2nd Floor at at 9:00 a.m.
Although level funding is good news, the program is still reeling from 9C cuts in the FY15 budget. We need to communicate that we are asking for the legislature to fund the program at $23 million. This number was arrived at from the 2015/16 transportation shortfall of $1.9 million plus a match of the 4% increase to Chapter 70, which is where METCO would be at now had our funding grown at the same rate as Chapter 70 since FY99, totaling $20,948,285.
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The METCO Program needs this level of funding in order to continue to maintain this high level of success. METCO has been transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of students for the past 50 years, by providing access to quality education for urban students and fostering more diverse classrooms in 190 suburban schools located in eastern and western Massachusetts. The program’s transportation and education costs continue to rise every year while state funding for METCO has remained relatively stagnant in recent years.
If you believe in METCO’s mission and equality for ALL students, can we ask you to please contact both your Boston and METCO district legislators in the House and Senate and ask them to: “increase METCO funding to $23 million as one of their top priorities in FY17 budget”? You can find out who your Legislators are by logging on to www.wheredoivotema.com and entering your home address. If you are not registered to vote, please register today. I urge you to reinvest in the METCO Program.
