Wakefield METCO director reports enrollment uptick, HBCU outreach and expanded after-school offerings
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Summary
Wakefield’s METCO program has 65 students this year (about 30 in high school), an expanded high-school cohort and after‑school programming; staff described HBCU fair participation and plans to boost recruitment and supports next year.
The Wakefield School Committee heard an update on the district METCO program on Feb. 24, during which the METCO director described increased high-school enrollment, after-school programming and plans for next year.
The director said METCO enrollment for the current year is 65 students, including roughly 30 students at the high-school level and a freshman cohort of about 10 students. The program expanded after-school participation through Wakefield Academy offerings, including basketball and a running club, and added middle-school after-school programming to give students structured activities and coaching.
Staff described an HBCU college-fair trip in Boston attended by about 16 district students; one senior who attended was reported to have received acceptances from two Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The METCO director said she hopes to host HBCU representatives in Wakefield next year to provide more on-site access for students who are less likely to take a bus trip. The director also noted work with the METCO Directors Association and a new METCO city-level leader, and said the district is working with DESE and the METCO directors to coordinate programming and funding.
The presentation referenced a grant that will expand late-bus service and allow additional late-day transportation; the grant amount was unclear in the transcript and is recorded here as not specified. Committee members and the superintendent praised the recruitment and programming work and asked follow-up questions about enrollment calculations and how DESE assigns METCO slots to districts.
The METCO director said DESE used a three‑year average to determine the district’s METCO enrollment allocation (65 slots) and that Wakefield aims to enroll to its full allocation by the end of the school year.