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School Committee Approves METCO HBCU Tour to Washington, D.C.
Summary
The Scituate School Committee voted to approve a METCO-organized HBCU college tour for February 2026, authorizing a five‑day motor‑coach trip designed to expose 10th–11th graders to historically Black colleges and universities and related seminars; funding plan relies on sponsorships, fundraisers and a $10,000 METCO grant allocation.
The Scituate School Committee voted June 16 to approve a five‑day HBCU college tour to Washington, D.C., for February 16–20, 2026, intended primarily for 10th and 11th graders and up to 30 students with six chaperones.
The METCO director, who presented the plan, said the tour—run by a vendor called College Campus Tours—will visit nine campuses and five historical sites across four states, and include classroom seminars on topics such as financial aid and campus life. “For those who may not know what HBCUs is, it stands for historical black college university,” the METCO director told the committee.
The presenter said the trip will travel by motor coach, provide lodging and most meals (dinners excluded), nightly security and a tour director; chaperones will be expected to supervise rather than lead campus visits. The vendor’s basic price quoted to the committee covers all included elements and the presenter said the contracted package is locked to a target of 30 students: if fewer students enroll the district would still be responsible for the contracted amount.
Committee members asked about affordability and inclusion. The METCO director said the district intends to pursue corporate sponsorships and fundraisers so no student is turned away for inability to pay, and that the district plans to allocate approximately $10,000 from the METCO grant (317) to support the trip. The presenter described a selection process that will include a student application of interest, collaboration among METCO staff, guidance and administration, and basic behavioral and disciplinary screening; the goal, the presenter said, is to avoid excluding students who show interest.
After brief discussion the committee president moved to approve the trip. The motion passed by voice vote. The school committee did not record a roll‑call of individual yea‑nay votes in the meeting transcript.
Next steps described by the presenter include an information night in the fall, student applications via Google Form, outreach for sponsors, and post‑trip reflection activities required of participating students so the district can assess the tour’s educational impact.
