While attending Wayland Public Schools from kindergarten through sixth grade through the METCO program provided a solid foundation for junior Giani Rodrigues’ education, she and her family decided to transfer out of the program in 2018. Now, Rodrigues attends Boston Latin School (BLS) in Boston.

 

Rodrigues and her family always planned to enroll her into an exam school in Boston, since those schools are much closer and still academically rigorous. According to Rodirgues, proximity to her school was an important factor because when she attended Wayland, she felt unable to participate in extracurriculars due to the rigidness of the METCO bus schedule.

 

“There was an art club at WMS that I wanted to do, but I couldn't do it because I had to take the bus that left at 3 p.m.,” Rodrigues said. “The other bus came at 6 p.m. to accommodate all the kids who play sports, but I couldn't be at the school for an extra three hours with nothing to do, so I couldn’t participate in the club.”

 

While transportation to and from Boston was limited, Rodrigues found ways to work around it. For example, when Rodrigues performed in orchestra concerts during elementary and middle school, she would often stay at her Wayland resident friend’s house between the end of school and the concert.

 

“[My friend and I] would go to the concert together and my parents would meet me at the concert,” Rodrigues said. “I feel like that's a lot more reasonable because I'm at someone who they trust’s house, and then my parents can come pick me up at 8 p.m. when work is not in the way.” 

 

In addition to BLS being more accessible, Rodrigues also appreciates the increase in diversity at her new school. She feels that BLS has less of a clear divide between white and Black students than Wayland did.

 

“Honestly, the fact that you could count the number of people of color in the WMS cafeteria speaks volumes,” Rodrigues said. “Boston Latin isn't the most diverse place, but it is ten times more diverse than Wayland was, and just seeing people that look like me in my classes is definitely a positive change.”

 

However, according to Rodrigues, the community within the METCO program itself was very welcoming for students of color in the Wayland Public School system. The METCO program hosted specific events, such as dinners and presentations, designed to help students become closer to one another.

 

“Being on the bus with people from my town and knowing I had a mini community within Wayland was really reassuring, because sometimes learning at Wayland felt like being a little fish in a big pond,” Rodrigues said. “Knowing that I had people who were from my city made it a lot easier to navigate Wayland.”

 

Additionally, Rodrigues believes that Wayland has strong academics and other educational opportunities that might not have been available to her if she chose to attend a Boston public school early-on in her education.

 

“A lot of fun memories I have from Wayland are doing things like field trips, which would not happen in Boston,” Rodirgues said. “Like, who else is biking to Walden Pond? I feel like a lot of those memories of being in a well-off suburban school were beneficial.”

 

Rodrigues believes that the quality of education caused her to have an overall positive experience in the Wayland METCO program. However, she suggests future applicants to also consider the downsides she experienced, such as a lack of diversity and long commutes.

 

“I think it's definitely worth it to be in a METCO program, but you need to understand what type of school you're putting your kid in, and how that might affect them,” Rodrigues said. “Ask yourself if a primarily white school is the best thing for your kid. I do think the program is important, because no matter what town you live in, it opens up another window of opportunities for other schools.”