Metco counts on more aid

Governor proposes $1.5m in budget

With transportation costs skyrocketing, school districts south of Boston that participate in a program offering suburban schooling for inner-city students are counting on a proposed increase in state funding, saying it's the only way to keep up with costs.

The proposed $1.5 million increase for Metco, the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity Inc., could boost per-pupil funding under the program to $4,000. The state now provides school districts with $3,800 for each Metco student for educational activities. The figure does not include some funding for transportation, which varies among districts depending upon a community's proximity to Boston.

If proposed increases in transportation funding are approved, the per-pupil amount could rise by as much as $500 in some districts.

The increases were proposed by Governor Deval Patrick.

The funding still falls far short of what districts are paying for the students out of their budgets, according to per-pupil spending figures. But school officials are hopeful that they'll see the funding increase, the first proposed by a governor in decades, to help offset increases in costs unrelated to program services, such as transportation.

"It will allow us to provide more direct services for our students," said Evelyn McMullen, coordinator of the Metco program in Sharon, where per-pupil spending was $12,204 last school year. "It's going to be very positive for us, and we hope the increase comes through" the final state budget.

Sharon has 66 Metco students and is committed to the program, McMullen said, although she added that a shortage in funding has cut services over the years. At one time, Sharon had 72 students, McMullen said.

The Metco program, started in 1966, sends inner-city students to 37 participating communities in the Boston and Springfield areas, serving a total of 3,300 students. Jean M. McGuire, executive director of the program, said it was meant to provide some racial diversity to suburban school districts and give inner-city students the quality of education available in those districts.

"Everyone is just waiting for the shoe to drop," McGuire said. "Every little bit helps, even if it does nothing but help with the costs of transportation."

Besides Sharon, seven districts south of Boston participate in the program. They are Braintree, Cohasset, Foxborough, Hingham, Scituate, Walpole, and Westwood.

On average, the state funding is much less than what districts spend for each student. The state has increased funding incrementally for the program over the last five years, but the proposed 7.3 percent increase - from $20.6 million to $22.1 million - is seen as an affirmation of the program and its purpose.

"We have made a commitment to the program," said Denise Walsh, superintendent of schools in Cohasset, which has 47 students in the program. "The diversity is important to us."

The per-pupil cost last year in Cohasset was $11,721. Walsh said the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents has called for state funding at $5,000 for each Metco student, which would at least help keep up with transportation costs, particularly costs for busing students who stay late for after-school programs.

For too long, she said, the state has kept funding even while costs kept rising.

"It's going to take a number of years to catch up," Walsh said.

David Killory, director of business for Hingham schools, said his district has teamed with Cohasset and Scituate to bus Metco elementary school pupils to save money.

Andrea Roundtree, coordinator of the Metco program in Scituate, said a particular concern for districts is that the program's five-year busing contract is to expire in the spring, and districts fear costs or surcharges could double, eating into funding for programs.

Still, the district has been able to run tutoring and other programs, she said.

She hopes the district will be able to expand programs with the increase in funding.

"Although it won't go all the way, we'll stretch it as far as we can," she said. "It does show that people understand how important it is and it shows the program is not only important to Boston students but to suburban families seeking diversity in their schools."