About Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO)

About company

Founded in the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, METCO places Boston residents in suburban schools—breaking down barriers to educational opportunities and creating rich, racially diverse learning environments for students of all backgrounds. The Massachusetts General Law Chapter 76, Section 12A gave city and town school committees and districts the right to "help alleviate racial isolation" and "racial imbalance" by placing children who reside elsewhere in their schools. "Racial isolation" is defined as occurring when a school population is more than 70% white. METCO has been the vehicle for this placement since 1966, administered by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.