ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1998-1999
METCO PROGRAM REPORT
The Town of Arlington has been in the forefront among movers and shakers when it comes to
educational initiatives. The Arlington Public Schools and the Arlington community at large have
embraced and nurtured the concept of valuing diversity and fostering the idea of a desegregated
community.
Since 1966 (over thirty-five years ago), the Arlington School Committee had a vision and knew then,
that polarization and segregation was not a good thing. It was then that the school committee
of our community voted to begin as one of only six (6) charter school districts to go down in
history as becoming a part of one of the oldest desegregation programs in the country.
Over the years our program grew, along with everything else of that time. We began with a
modest METCO Program of only 15 students. Today we are at an all time high of a total enrollment
of 104 students.
We have had the opportunity to have one of the lowest turnover rates of METCO directors during
this time, having had only seven directors. The first five directors only stayed with the program
a single year, the sixth director stayed two years, and the current director has been with the
program twenty years. This kind of continuity has helped the program evolve into what it
is today.
We have weathered storms and have rolled with the punches. The biggest obstacle has been being a level
funded program for over eleven years. We have faced the difficulties of school closings along
with other impacts of Proposition 2 1/2 in the early eighties.
In our favor is the fact that, geographically, we are not at as big a disadvantage as some of the other
METCO districts in terms of our proximity to Boston. Having the luxury of being on an M.B.T.A.
line, we were able to become creative in transporting some of our older students via public
transportation when all other options have failed. Currently, other METCO communities have
followed suit in using the M.B.T.A., with more to come in future years of level funding.
Our sacrifice has been that we have had many parents very disenchanted with our transportation
model. This has manifested itself through a few inter-community transfers as well as a few
families rejecting Arlington as available METCO community due to the impending transportation
limitations that affect our older students.
With over 32 suburban communities within the Commonwealth now subscribing to the ideals of
desegregation and diversity, we are not alone in our efforts to provide an alternative for
some Boston families seeking educational excellence. METCO is only one alternative that parents
have to choose from. In addition to their local neighborhood districted school, parents also have
private, parochial, independent, and charter schools to choose from. Also, under the Ed. Reform
Act, the School Choice Program is available.
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