START YOUR CHILD'S APPLICATION
Read this important information and scroll down for the application link.
1) Is the child a resident of Boston? (refer to this list of Boston neighborhoods)
2) Will they be at least five years old on or before August 31, 2025, going into Kindergarten (K2) through 10th grade?
3) Use the EXPLORE tool to learn about the METCO districts and choose the three you think would be the best fit for your child.
NEXT: Read this information about the METCO program to be sure you understand it.
PURPOSE: The purpose of the state-funded METCO Program is to expand educational opportunities, increase diversity, and reduce racial isolation by permitting students from Boston to attend public schools in other communities that have agreed to participate. Since its founding, the METCO program has enrolled tens of thousands of Boston students of color in participating school districts and has provided the opportunity for students in those districts to experience the advantages of learning and working in a racially and ethnically diverse setting.
The statute that authorizes the METCO program is M.G.L. Chapter 76, Section 12A, the Racial Imbalance Act.
MISSION: The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, Inc. (METCO) provides students with a strong academic foundation rich in cultural, educational, ethnic, socioeconomic, and racial diversity, fostering the opportunity for children from Boston and from neighboring suburbs to develop a deeper understanding of each other in an integrated public-school setting.
TIMELINE: Applications for the 2025-26 school year may be submitted during the designated application windows between July 2024 and May 2025.
NON-DISCRIMINATION: METCO, Inc. and participating METCO school districts do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender, gender identity, disability, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.
THEN: Gather all the documents you need.
Obtain all the listed documents before you start your application! Your application will be entered into the lottery once it is fully completed and submitted.