Metco: A Solution or Sacrifice
BY Morgan Reilly
1%. A startling statistic that represents the percentage of black students at my high school. Every time I sat down in a classroom, it would be abnormal if a student at the desk next to me was not white. I grew up in a small town, nestled 25 miles outside Boston between other affluent suburbs. We are known for our school system, as it is always highly ranked in Massachusetts and even nationally. However, for a school system that takes so much pride in its academic accolades, it always has struggled with a severe lack of diversity. Out of two-hundred students from kindergarten to senior year, only one student was black and about 90% of the grade was white (“Medfield Senior High School”). Consequently, when our town discussed joining METCO my sophomore year of high school, I was an outspoken supporter. METCO, the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, is the nation’s largest voluntary academic desegregation program. The initiative buses mainly black and hispanic students from inner-city Boston to affluent, racially isolated suburb schools for greater academic opportunity and racial integration.
However, METCO is not just a program that “fixes” a diversity problem for white school systems. Rather, it is an entire shift in the childhood and lives of students who spend their elementary, middle, and high school years on a bus in hopes of greater academic opportunities. The debate over the program generally focuses on hard metrics such as its expenses or highlights its benefits like graduation rates and test scores, but both sides of the argument fail to acknowledge the subjective experiences of students who endure the program. This angle highlights the raw, lasting emotional costs, or conversely, the foundational successes children achieve. Thus, when the program’s failures and achievements are considered from every perspective, METCO should still operate to provide its undisputed academic opportunity but requires several amendments due to its social implications on students.
METCO needs to update its long-established procedures. The program began in 1966; Boston was slow to take action after the Supreme Court ruled against the segregation of schools in 1955 in Brown vs. The Board of Education. The first METCO students were bused from inner-city Boston public schools to affluent suburbs such as Brookline, Newton and Wellesley. Almost 60 years later, 3,200 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade are still being bused to over thirty different schools (“METCO”).
To make use of the educational opportunities typically reserved from those in affluent suburbs, students must register through the program’s website and be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, there is a large waiting list once a student has applied— over 8,000 students long. So, why do so many students STILL try to join this program? The answer is fairly simple: not only does METCO make high school completion more probable, but makes the dream of higher education a realistic possibility. To illustrate, the Boston Public Schools only have a 64% graduation rate while students in METCO have a 97% high school graduation rate, and the likelihood that they attend higher education increases by over 30% percent according to the American Economic Review. Furthermore, Brendan J. Brookes explains in “The Commonwealth’s METCO Program as a Blueprint for Expanding School Integration Across District Lines” that students in METCO are more likely to score higher on state exams. Brookes examined students from the largest METCO programs as well the Boston Public Schools over several years. He was able to conclude test scores ranging from math and science to language and reading improve across the board for METCO students in exams such as MCAS or AP placement tests. Thus, students perform higher academically in every aspect when they join the METCO rather than if they remain in the Boston school system.
In addition to the academic benefits of the program, METCO has advantages that the numbers cannot encapsulate. The most obvious improvement the program provides is the integration of race across Massachusetts. Rather than black and white students growing up with limited exposure to various ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds, METCO allows for the introduction and integration of these differences at a young age. Furthermore, this diversity in the classroom mirrors the real world. METCO consists of 67% black students, in addition to 24% Hispanic students (“METCO”). Both students in receiving districts and METCO learn to work alongside people from various backgrounds through creating a culturally rich environment. Rather than only being exposed to suburban classroom settings that are strictly 71% white or public school classrooms that are 72% black and Hispanic, METCO blends students together. This integration helps children develop skills that aid them navigate situations they otherwise would not have been able to. In the study conducted on METCO by Brendan J Brookes, the researcher found that students who have experience working in diverse settings are more sought after in the workforce. Additionally, the study found that METCO alumni have a higher earning potential for students of color than students who did not attend an integrated school.
Lastly, METCO students are introduced to a new culture of higher education. Though the suburban schools they attend are only ten to twenty miles from where they may live, the aim to attend college in these communities are vastly different. Students report in the documentary “Codeswitching: Race and Identity in the Suburban Schoolhouse” that this common goal to attend a university motivated them as they were “exposed to what the higher education world is like”(17:20). This objective thus inspired METCO kids to join extracurriculars or participate more in the classroom to achieve these opportunities. Thus, by introducing a more stimulating culture, METCO does not just shape the immediate communities, but also the ones both black and white students will be a part of and form as they mature.
These educational and social experiences that the program provides are so beneficial for students that it may seem as though there are no disadvantages. However, the academic benefits and extensive opportunities fail to encapsulate the day-to-day experiences of students participating in the program. Thus, due to the obvious success of the program, METCO should operate but needs to recognize these struggles endured by the students. For example, many students wake up at 5:00 a.m. to sit on a long bus ride, endure a twelve-hour day consisting of rigorous classes and extracurricular activities, and then get transported home as they watch the scenery “change from suburban to urban, wealthy to middle- and low-income” (Semuels). The bus ride to and from school carries students between vastly different worlds.
At school, black students are entering a space with predominantly white students, teachers, and even curriculum. This difference in skin color left METCO students in the documentary to report that they had to “code switch.” Code-switching is when you alternate your language and change how you act according to the space you are in. At home, students may act or speak a certain way, but at school, they report having to speak “whiter,” change the way they act, and even dress or wear their hair differently. By only spending weekends in the city and long school days in the suburbs, one METCO student Sierra Leone says it felt “like having two fatimas” or like you “don’t fit in” in either location. Older METCO students say they have to “live two lifestyles: live your home, hood, black…city life, and then you drive 20 miles and then bang, it’s a whole new world.” Without having any other representation other than the other METCO kids, students in the program may have access to better opportunities but at the cost of feeling isolated, “vulnerable, and exposed” (“Codeswitching: Race And Identity In The Suburban Schoolhouse”).
Accordingly, taking a stance on METCO is a loaded, controversial topic. The program helps fight racial prejudice by integrating races and granting more opportunities for students in public schools, but at an emotional cost. Thus, the ideal solution to this multilayered issue is to improve the Boston Public Schools and grant opportunities that should be provided to students all along. It is not fair that 25% of students– with even more on the waiting list– are leaving the public schools for alternatives like charter schools and programs like METCO. This amounts to over 50% of students trying to find a replacement for the education provided in Boston (“Codeswitching Documentary Explores How METCO Students Navigate Identity & Belonging”). However, restructuring the city’s entire public school system is an endeavor that will take years to fix. Therefore, METCO should still stand as a program to help give better opportunities for students in inner-city Boston now. To run effectively, however, METCO requires serious improvements. These improvements could include hiring more black teachers, hosting additional dialogues between suburban residents and METCO students, and also offering physiological support. These adjustments will aid in increasing representation for students who travel to suburban schools, as well as ensure that students feel supported as they receive counseling and aid to help the transition to a new learning environment.
For these amendments to be successful, METCO’s budget must be adjusted properly as well. This may cause people to argue that improving METCO will divert resources from the public school systems, which could thus prolong solutions to Boston’s racism issue. However, METCO is not funded in the same way public schools are. Rather, METCO receives a grant that is dedicated solely to its operation and does not reduce the funds available to public schools. The program’s grant is funded by alumni, parents, foundations, banks, and companies in addition to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“METCO”). This funding is raised due to the fact people believe in METCO’s mission, therefore this money is not something inner city kids are being deprived of. METCO is not taking resources from the public schools, but actually generates greater opportunities with resources that would have never otherwise been available to inner city kids to begin with.
Although there are many who support and fund METCO’s mission, the program requires a larger budget to correct its issues. This means increasing the grant provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other donors from $32.2 million in the 2024 fiscal budget by $2.8 million (Drysdale). The city already increases the budget annually by $500,000 to account for inflation, though this is not enough to maintain the current teaching staff and busing costs, let alone the amendments that should be conducted to increase enrollment. Teachers have already advocated for an increase to the program’s budget, though the governor has not taken any action. Some may argue that raising the budget by this amount is not worth keeping the program around as it is expensive. However, investing in the academic opportunities and futures of children has immense potential as higher education is becoming more necessary. Focusing on a generation who can have higher earning potential through attending greater education will serve the city of Boston in the long run by stimulating more economic growth. Furthermore, research conducted by the University of California Berkeley reports that a “1 percent increase in the high school graduation rate for males could save $1.4 billion in criminal justice costs.” Consequently, since METCO greatly increases the likelihood that students will graduate from high school, the program will save Boston an immense amount of money in the long run.
With an increased budget, not only could METCO save Boston (and Massachusetts) money in the long-run, but it could also address the social implications that isolation in school is currently having on students, particularly younger ones. At this time in children’s development, social relationships throughout elementary, middle, and high school can serve as the foundation of people’s communities throughout life. But students who have gone through the program say METCO greatly contributed to the success they achieved and formed who they are today. For example, one student that has graduated from METCO reports feeling isolated at the beginning of his experience and learned to code-switch early on. However, as time went on, he began to adapt to the culture of the school and foster relationships with students to the point he and friends were “inseparable”(Samuels). Though his experience at home was vastly different from the kids he was surrounded by, he said this formed his career path. Hearing students talk about vacations and traveling forged a curiosity for him to become a travel agent. Socially, the student remarks METCO “prepared him for a life and career in which he…easily transition[s] among languages and culture,” which he credits as his greatest attribute now. Other alumni report entering the program feeling shy and socially awkward, but being accepted by other students through clubs or school spirit showed them that though people have differences, uniting through similar goals or hobbies can overcome this divide.
Yes, METCO may put black kids in situations that can be difficult, but when these difficulties are overcome, prejudice is broken down. Growing up near Boston, I am ashamed to say that it is reported to be one of the most racist cities in the United States (Semuels). Therefore, action to help eradicate these racial, harmful stereotypes needs to be taken. METCO serves as a foundation that serves both white students and black students as both groups find how to bond and collaborate with people who are different from them. Not every student is fit for METCO. Therefore parents should carefully consider all the repercussions their child may encounter, and then decide whether the voluntary program is a right fit. Though, if students can create a foundation of how to interact with people who are different from them racially, ethnically, or culturally at a young age, they will be much better suited for the real world than students who do not experience this until later in life, and consequently, these relationships will be the ones to help resolve the racism that is evident today.
The METCO program is not perfect. However, the opportunity it grants to inner city kids to either graduate high school, have access to better education, attend a university, or learn how to navigate racially diverse spaces are benefits that do not compare to the alternative of the public school system. The program is outdated, but changes can be made. By improving the budget allocated to METCO, the program should increase the representation of black teachers to make minority students feel more seen in classrooms, hold discussions to tackle the struggles endured by students face on, and offer support for those who feel isolated. This would make students who feel alone or like they do not fit in feel heard and seen through representation and dialogue. METCO alumni reflect that the program was the right decision to participate in despite its struggles. If the state could help ease these struggles by making students feel like they belong, METCO would be an experience that would be a success for both black and white students. Lastly, it is still important to recognize that the children who stay in the Boston Public Schools deserve the same opportunity as white students in suburban public schools. Therefore, the METCO program serves as an effective stepping stone toward progress, but is not the final destination.
Works Cited
Angrist, Joshua D., and Kevin Lang. “Does School Integration Generate Peer Effects? Evidence from Boston’s Metco Program.” The American Economic Review, vol. 94, no. 5, 2004, pp. 1613–34. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3592836.
Bauld, Andrew. “METCO, Evaluated.” Harvard Education Magazine, Fall 2019, pp.1-2
Braude, Jim. ‘Codeswitching’ Documentary Explores How METCO Students Navigate Identity & Belonging. YouTube, GBH News, 2021, https://youtu.be/l2X5z91lMWw. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.
Brooks, J.Brendan. “The Commonwealth’s METCO Program as a Blueprint for Expanding School Integration Across District Lines.” Suffolk University Law Review, vol. 55, no. 2, June 2022, pp. 205–35. https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.suffolk.edu/dist/3/1172/files/2022/09/brooks-final.pdf
Drysdale, Sam. “METCO Turns to Mass. Legislature to Help Grow Program.” NBC Boston, NBC10 Boston, 21 Mar. 2023, www.nbcboston.com/news/local/metco-massachusetts-state-house/3002505/. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023
Mascoll, Mike. Lunch Hour Live — Codeswitching: Race And Identity In The Suburban Schoolhouse. YouTube, GBH, 18 Feb. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/live/dIXXr2oK28U?feature=share. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.
“Medfield Senior High School (2023 Ranking) – Medfield, MA.” Public School Review, National Center for Education Statistics, www.publicschoolreview.com/medfield-senior-high-school-profile#:~:text=The%20diversity%20score%20of%20Medfield%20Senior%20High%20School,has%20stayed%20relatively%20flat%20over%20five%20school%20years. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023
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Reilly, Adam. METCO Program: Should Funding Be A Priority? YouTube, GBH News, 27 Feb. 2015, youtu.be/7I65Ru4ZM9c. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023
Romero , Jessie. “The Dropout Dilemma.” Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, 2014, www.richmondfed.org/publications/research/econ_focus/2014/q3/feature1#:~:text=Research%20by%20Lance%20Lochner%20of%20the%20University%20of,or%20%242%2C100%20per%20additional%20male%20high%20school%20graduate. Accessed 12 Apr. 2023
Semuels, Alana. “The Utter Inadequacy of America’s Efforts to Desegregate Schools.” The Atlantic. 19 April 2019 https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/04/boston-metco-program-school-desegregation/584224/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023
About the Author
Morgan Reilly is a sophomore in Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, planning on majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. She is involved in Smart Women’s Securities, Fordham Marketing Association and the Entrepreneurship Society on campus. Outside of school, she loves exploring New York City with friends, working out, and trying new restaurants.