By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The School Department will be enrolling up to seven METCO students during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Superintendent Tom Geary said during a recent School Committee meeting that 41 METCO students are currently enrolled in Lynnfield Public Schools.
“Six will be graduating,” said Geary. “We are looking to add up to seven next year. Most likely, there will end up being four or five, but we would like to have the flexibility to go up to seven. This year is an anomaly because I don’t remember the last time we had six graduating.”
Geary said the School Department is looking to enroll METCO students in kindergarten and second grade during the 2025-2026 academic year.
“It’s a little early for the kindergarten numbers, but we would ideally like to get students in as soon as possible,” said Geary. “Four to five would probably be the number, but we would like to have the flexibility to go up to seven.”
According to METCO’s website, “the state of Massachusetts has allocated funding to METCO’s partner districts for transportation, staffing and programming, as well as administrative and program costs at METCO’s Headquarters.”
Geary said the School Department has tried to enroll just over 40 students each academic year because “the funding from METCO is student-based.” He said having just over 40 students enrolled will “keep our funding somewhat consistent.”
In response to a question from School Committee Vice Chair Jenny Sheehan, Geary said he is “focused right now” on enrolling METCO students into kindergarten classes.
“That would be the place ideally where we would get the students early,” said Geary. “They are not too far down the line in the application process. We have a rough idea of how many kindergarten kids we will have, so we believe we can fit them in. Which school they will go to will be a down the line discussion. Ideally, we would like to have at least a couple of kids in kindergarten classes so that they can have the whole K-12 experience.”
School Committee Chair Kristen Grieco Elworthy inquired if the new METCO students would be “filling seats that are available.”
Geary said enrolling METCO students would not overcrowd elementary school classes. He said school officials will be examining which classes will have the space to enroll METCO students.
School Committee member Jamie Hayman asked if METCO families have to “select” enrolling their children in Lynnfield Public Schools.
“It’s a two-way street,” said Geary. “I would like to have the ability to go up to seven to be able to replace the students we will be losing. And you never know if you are going to lose another student for other reasons in grades K-11. But realistically, five or so has been the number we have been able to get.”
Hayman recalled that the School Department has tried enrolling siblings in the district in the past. He asked if the School Department will be looking to continue that practice next year.
“We have one sibling family that would be incoming,” said Geary. “For next year, we are looking for new families for the most part.”
Lynnfield Public Schools has been enrolling METCO students since 1968. METCO Director Curtis Blyden informed the Villager that Lynnfield High School has 19 METCO students enrolled this year. There are 13 METCO students hitting the books at Lynnfield Middle School. There are five students at Huckleberry Hill School this year. There are four METCO students enrolled at Summer Street School.
The School Committee voted to accept up to seven METCO students during the 2025-2026 academic year on Jan. 28.