School Choice (part 1)

Metco Programs have, for a long time, given a legal opportunity for students to enter publicly funded school settings outside of their residential district. In each instance, the host community is paid an agreed amount for tuition based upon the rate of cost per student in the host school district. Why then, if a non resident student chooses to attend a Milton school as a non resident and the Milton school committee deems that there is available space and the candidate has an acceptable reason for wanting to do so, can’t this school committee make a similar tuition arrangement. The student would then be legal and the town would save much time, money and effort ferreting out illegal students. Further, it would be a bargain for the city of Boston. The rate per student in Boston is about $12,872 and the cost to attend a school in Milton is about $8,378 per student. Currently, each student attending a Milton school illegally is costing the Milton taxpayer $8,378 to say little of the labor cost in handling these situations...

There is an old adage that says, If you can’t (won’t) beat ‘em, join ‘em.