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START YOUR CHILD'S APPLICATION
Read this important information and scroll down for the application link.
STOP! Is your child eligible for METCO?
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.
ELIGIBILITY: Only Boston residents are eligible. Any student whose primary residence is outside of Boston is not eligible for the METCO program. Before any student is referred to a METCO district, their parent or legal guardian must prove legal residency in the City of Boston. The guardian must also provide images of their photo ID, the student’s birth certificate, and the student’s current immunization record. Once enrolled, families must continue to be residents of Boston for the duration of the school year and throughout matriculation in order to be enrolled in a METCO partner school.
TIMELINE: Applications for the 2023-24 school year may be submitted during the designated application windows between August 2022 and June 2023.
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 when you submit it, but only COMPLETE applications will be considered for referrals.
NOW: Apply on your phone or computer.