Eligibility
In order to qualify for the program, a student must be a resident of Boston or Springfield and be non-white. Eligibility does not take into account a student’s record (including academics and behavior), English language proficiency, socioeconomic status, attendance record or immigration status. The program (including transportation) is completely free and also provides free after-school tutoring and transportation. Chapter 76, Section 12A of Massachusetts General Law provides for the METCO program: “The school committee of any city or town or any regional district school committee may adopt a plan for attendance at its school by any child who resides in another city, town, or regional school district in which racial imbalance, as defined in section thirty-seven D of chapter seventy-one, exists in a public school. Such plan shall tend to eliminate such racial imbalance, shall be consistent with the purposes of said section thirty-seven D, and shall include an estimate of the expenses necessary to implement such plan." Chapter 71, Section 37D defines “racial imbalance” as a public school in which more than 50% of the students are minority (non-white) students. “Racial isolation” is defined as existing in a public school where under 30% of the student population consists of non-minority (white) students.
Read more about this topic: METCO