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Information for Prospective METCO Families

Information for Prospective METCO Families

Enrolling in the Program

To enroll a child in the METCO program in Boston, application must be made in person at the METCO, Inc. office.  

To sign up for the program a parent must provide proof of residency and a birth certificate. Proof of residency can be a mortgage or utility bill. Students successfully signed up are placed on a waiting list until he or she is selected for placement. METCO Inc. works with the family to prepare an enrollment folder. Once the intake process is completed and the school records are received in full, METCO Inc. forwards the applicants' enrollment folder to school districts with openings for the particular grade level needed. Ultimately, placement decisions are based upon:

  • completion of the METCO application packet;
  • submission of all school records;
  • date of registration;
  • district grade and seat availability;
  • presence of siblings on the waiting list;
  • special education status (students with existing special education placement determinations that call for out-of-district placement are generally not participants in METCO since the purpose of the program is participation in the district schools); and
  • race (in the past seven years, Hispanics and Asians have been given some preference to openings in an effort to have the METCO program reflect better the minority population of the Boston Public Schools).

The Department, through its service provider, METCO Inc., prohibits the screening out of students for anything other than an applicant's unwillingness to fulfill basic registration procedures or as described under the special education question below. No special consideration is to be given to any applicant for entrance into the program, such as one's political affiliation, one's athletic or other recognized talent, or one's relationship to a METCO staff member. 

 

  • Yes. Metco districts are required to provide a full range of in-district special education services to eligible students. However, if a student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that calls for an out-of-district placement, then the METCO district is not obligated to accept that student. In all other cases, however, whether for initial intake into the program or for continuation in the program, school districts must provide in-district special education services and must adhere to special education regulations.

    It is worth noting that if a student is already participating in the METCO program and develops special education needs that suggest the possibility of needing an out-of-district placement, the receiving METCO district may still be required to provide services in-district. The student may only be placed in an out-of-district placement if both the METCO district and the sending district are in agreement that the student needs such a placement. Otherwise, the METCO district must continue to serve the student in-district (see 603 CMR 28.03(4)(i)(1)(ii)). Special education law requires that students be served in the least restrictive setting possible and the METCO district cannot make a unilateral out-of-district placement for a student who has been accepted to METCO with an IEP that requires in-district services. If both districts agree to an out-of-district setting, then the responsibility for the student reverts to the sending district (i.e. Boston).

  • Yes. There is no stipulation that a student speak English in order to register or get placed in METCO. To deny a placement based on language proficiency would be a civil rights violation. If an LEP student enrolls in a METCO program and has low English proficiency, it is the receiving school district's responsibility to ensure that initial language assessment and adequate language support are provided.

  • In most METCO districts, a METCO director coordinates the program and provides support to METCO students either directly or indirectly. This support may include the hiring of staff who serve METCO students or through grant-related initiatives that are earmarked for METCO students. For example, some towns hire academic counselors who are responsible for monitoring the progress of METCO students. Other towns have METCO tutoring initiatives in which METCO students are strongly encouraged to attend and where they get special academic support. In other programs, there are host family/family friends initiatives or motivational speaker events for METCO students. 

  • METCO students and resident students are to be held to the same academic and behavioral expectations. In all cases of potential termination (involuntary removal), there must be clear communication and due process followed. For example, if a METCO student is failing multiple subjects and missing an inordinate number of school days, a meeting should be held to address the situation. In all cases, everything must be done to ensure that the student's and family's wishes and interests are respected. Prior to any return to the sending district, all parties involved must agree that it is in the student's best interest to return to the Boston Public School. The Department has stated that only in 'rare' cases should METCO students be terminated from a program and after every effort has been made to rectify an academic, behavioral, or other issue.

METCO Q & A

  • Despite the distance to a participating community or other personal circumstances, METCO caregivers  are expected to participate fully in their child’s total academic and social growth experiences. It is expected that caregivers  will make themselves available to participate in all  scheduled meetings, conferences, and as many events as possible at their child’s school.   In the event that a child is required to be picked up, (i.e., in the case of sudden illness or school suspension),  caregivers are expected to do so in a timely manner and according to protocol. Lastly, caregivers are required to provide transportation to and from school in the event of an emergency and attend scheduled Lincoln METCO parent meetings during the course of the academic year. Please see schedule and (host) below:

    • January 21, 2021 (METCO)
    • March 25, 2021 (MCC/PTO/E-Board)

  • METCO students must reside in the Greater Boston area.

    • Placement of METCO students is based on available seating in each school. Each district has determined a maximum seat allocation number. METCO students may be admitted at this maximum number, but METCO enrollment may also be decreased at the discretion of the districts to compensate for increases in resident student enrollment. Currently, Lincoln has 91 seats allocated for METCO students.
    • METCO generally places students in grades K-12; however, decisions regarding grade level acceptance and placement are generally left to the discretion of the districts and can vary annually based on various factors including, but not limited to, individual class enrollment sizes. Lincoln METCO accepts students in grades K-2.
    • At any given time, there are approximately 3,300 students participating in district METCO programs.
    •  Any Boston resident entering Kindergarten through 10th grade may apply to be enrolled in METCO using an online portal launched in 2019. Districts select students with completed applications every year by lottery, based on the number of slots available in each grade. No preference is given based on academic or athletic performance, personal relationships, or financial need.
    • Caregivers are not given a choice of which community their child is chosen for; however, a parent can decline placement for any reason; however each family is given one opportunity for placement in the lottery process.  If a family forfeits their placement, they will have to reapply the following year. Placement preference, may be given to siblings at the discretion of the district and available seating.

  • Schools in the participating METCO districts are public schools and do not have entrance requirements for resident students, then, by law, any student whose parent signs him/her up for METCO is eligible for placement. No child can be denied placement by any participating district for reasons of attendance, behavior, or special needs – except in the case where a student receiving services and accommodations through an IEP (Individual Education Plan) requires a placement that the district does not offer. Students with special education needs are eligible to participate in METCO if the accommodations and services needed by that student are offered in the participating district.

  • The Lincoln METCO Program contracts with METCO HQ to provide transportation services for Lincoln METCO students. Questions regarding transportation should be directed to the Lincoln METCO Director.

  • No. Family income is not a determining factor in applying for METCO. The widely assumed misconception that METCO students are from low-income families often stems from the stereotypical generalization that minority families who choose to live in inner city areas are poor. METCO families encompass a broad range of income levels and lifestyles.

  • The program is funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Funding must be approved annually by the legislature. The METCO program is not a Choice program. The students’ home districts do not transfer tuition funding for METCO participants.

  • Since many METCO programs across the Commonwealth are relatively small in student numbers, and since the minority population in receiving districts is usually minimal, your child could be one of few students of color in the classroom. However, when accepting students into the Lincoln METCO program, the district ensures that two or more students are placed in a classroom.