Wakefield METCO enrollment dips to 60; district wins MECCA REI grant for equity audit

Wakefield Public Schools officials on Feb. 25 reported that the METCO program enrolled 60 students this year — about eight fewer than the district’s usual count — and announced the district was awarded a MECCA REI grant to fund an external equity audit.

The update came during superintendent remarks. Flavia (METCO coordinator) told the School Committee that the program enrolled 60 students this year: 27 high‑school students, 21 middle‑school students and 12 elementary students. She said the shortfall of roughly eight students was not due to district outreach but to delays at ECHO Inc. in delivering required files that help fill available seats. “We are about 8 students down from our regular numbers,” she said.

Flavia said the METCO program has a large graduating cohort this year — nine students — and she is working to transition graduates into post‑program supports. She gave two examples of students who had shown measurable progress through district supports, including the bridge program.

The district also announced it was awarded a MECCA REI grant (described in the meeting as a grant supporting equity, inclusion and diversity work). The grant will fund a comprehensive external equity audit to assess access to advanced coursework and other opportunities across the district; the contract for the audit will be with consultant Angela Burke, described at the meeting as having more than 20 years of education experience. "We are currently doing... a comprehensive external audit to ensure that we are living the processes to help understand where we stand and to guide our efforts to ensure access and opportunity for all our students," Flavia said.

Separately, the committee heard about the Bridge program (presented by Amy McLeod, substituting for Aaron Manzi). McLeod described the Bridge program as a therapeutic, transitional support for students returning from medical absences or those experiencing school avoidance or anxiety. She said the program provides school adjustment counseling and academic support with the explicit goal of returning students to full classes as quickly as appropriate. McLeod noted that the program has been expanded in recent years and highlighted individual success cases discussed by Flavia.

Committee members thanked staff for the METCO work and for the Bridge program supports; they expressed hope the district and partner agencies would continue to work on recruitment and file-processing with ECHO Inc. to fill available METCO seats.

No formal vote was taken on these program updates; the items were informational and will inform future planning and outreach.