METCO (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity)

The Metco program is a state-funded grant program that promotes diversity and educational opportunity for more than 3,300 Boston and Springfield school students, as well as thousands of students in the Metco receiving school districts. The Metco program was started in the 1960s to provide enhanced educational opportunities for participating students, to reduce the racial isolation of suburban school districts, and to reduce segregation in city schools. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) oversees the Metco grant program. The Department's main role is to ensure that the Metco grant is administered correctly and that school districts receive Metco funding. The Department also provides general oversight in terms of policy issues. Some of these policy issues involve intake and placement, termination, special education, academic and disciplinary expectations, etc. The Department serves as the primary conduit of information regarding the program to the Board of Education, the Legislature, the media, and the public. The Department, through the Commissioner of Education, has ultimate responsibility and authority related to the grant program and the service provider contract. The Department works with the Metco Advisory Committee on policy; the committee consists of representatives from the Metco community, including directors, superintendents, METCO Inc. and its own Board of Directors, and a parent representative.

Chapter 76, Section 12A of Massachusetts General Laws states that "the school committee of any city or town or any regional school district may adopt a plan for attendance at its schools by any child who resides in another city, town, or regional school district in which racial imbalance exists." This plan "shall tend to eliminate racial imbalance in the sending district" and, as the law states, "to help alleviate racial isolation in the receiving district." The definitions of 'racial imbalance' and `racial isolation' are found in Chapter 71, Section 37D (also referred to as Chapter 636, section 37D). In summary, 'racial imbalance' is the condition of a public school in which more than fifty percent of the pupils attending such school are non-white. 'Racial isolation' is the condition of a public school in which not more than thirty percent of the pupils attending such school are non-white.

The Reading METCO program is currently composed of 67 K-12 students that attend 7 different schools in the district. Our mission is to provide students with educational opportunities designed to enrich their academic, personal and interpersonal experiences. It is our belief that the METCO experience should provide a strong academic foundation, as well as an environment rich in cultural, educational, ethnic and racial diversity.

Reading Public Schools is a participating district in the METCO program. Our students who participate in the METCO program travel by bus or parents’ transportation to get between their Boston homes and RPS each school day. In effort to ensure that our students in the METCO program can fully experience all that RPS has to offer we are looking to connect "host families" with Boston "METCO families". METCO students ordinarily depart from RPS at the end of the school day and spend a significant part of the afternoon on the bus getting home. It is often unappealing or impossible to return to the school for special evening events (Back-to-School Picnic’s, Halloween events, Spelling Bee’s, Open House, etc.) Similarly, there are logistical issues for METCO parents wanting to attend evening events such as Curriculum Night or PTO Meetings. Therefore, we are looking for Reading families who can host a METCO student in the afternoon between the close of school and until their parent(s) arrives in Reading, particularly on the days of special events If you are interested in being a host family, please email your child’s individual schools volunteer email address with your child(ren)'s name and teacher(s). Jason Cross, director of the METCO program in Reading, will be in touch if we are able to match a student with your family. Thank you!

The purpose of the Reading METCO parent committee is to bring together parents and staff to accomplish goals that will benefit students and families attending Reading Public Schools. The committee is composed of A Chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer and a grade rep chair. Each role is a year-long commitment. The committee meets twice a month to give updates, discuss issues, and strategize to meet committee objectives. Parents from Reading and Boston are encouraged to participate as volunteers.

The MLK choir was organized by METCO Director, Jason Cross in 2014 for METCO to have a presence at the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event held by the Town of Reading each year. The choir started with 8 METCO students singing R. Kelly’s “I believe I can fly.” Since then, the choir has been dubbed the FriendsofMETCO MLK Choir because it now includes 23 students made up of both METCO and resident students.

Each year we try to come together and visit Honey Pot Hill Orchards for apple picking, fresh donuts and hayrides. This is an opportunity for residents, admin and METCO families to come together for some fun & fellowship This event is organized by the Reading METCO Parent Committee and will usually take place in the early fall of each year.

Since 2010, residents Mark and Linda Dockser have hosted what has become the Annual FriendsofMETCO pool party at their home. This is an opportunity for residents, admin and METCO families to come together for some fun, food and fellowship. This event is usually held in the month of August each year.