FY2021: METCO Supplemental Special Education Grant

Fund Code: 317A

Purpose:

The purpose of this competitive grant program is to provide supplemental support to METCO districts serving Boston or Springfield resident students with more intensive special education needs. The METCO program expands educational opportunities, increases diversity, and reduces racial isolation by permitting students in Boston and Springfield to attend public schools in other communities that have agreed to participate. Please note that this is a pilot program, and the Department will be seeking feedback about if/how to continue this program in future years.

Priorities:

The priority of this fund source is to provide supplemental support to METCO districts serving Boston or Springfield resident students with more intensive special education needs, which will typically include specialized transportation and/or one-on-one support in the student's IEP.

Eligibility:

School districts currently participating in the METCO program who can provide individualized special education cost data for Boston or Springfield resident students with more intensive special education served in FY2020 are eligible to apply for supplemental special education support in FY2021 through this grant program. If you have questions about whether or not your district is eligible to apply, please contact the Department for clarification prior to submitting an application.

Participating METCO districts are Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Braintree, Brookline, Cohasset, Concord, Concord-Carlisle, Dover, Dover-Sherborn, East Longmeadow, Foxborough, Hampden-Wilbraham, Hingham, Lexington, Lincoln, Lincoln-Sudbury, Longmeadow, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Melrose, Natick, Needham, Newton, Reading, Scituate, Sharon, Sherborn, Southwick-Tolland-Granville, Springfield, Sudbury, Swampscott, Wakefield, Walpole, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, and Westwood.

Funding Type:

State

Funding:

Approximately $200,000 is available for this grant program. Districts may apply for up to the full $200,000, but please note that grant award amounts may be prorated depending on the number and size of qualified applications submitted.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Funds may be used for special education costs for Boston and Springfield resident students participating in the METCO program that are not otherwise covered or reimbursed by other federal or state restricted sources. Funds do not have to be attributed to specific individual students with intensive needs.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – 6/30/2021

Program Unit:

Center for Strategic Initiatives

Contact:

Sylvia Lam, LEE Fellow

Shay Edmond, Associate Commissioner

Phone Number:

(781) 338-3567

Date Due:

Monday, January 25, 2020

Proposals must be received via email by Department 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

Required Forms:

Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page — (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

Part II — Budget Workbook

Part III — Required Program Information

 

Part IV — Special Education Services Cost Calculator Applicants—Please check your inboxes for the email with the updated cost calculator attachment sent on 1/19/2021.

Submission Instructions:

Please email Parts I, II, and III to csi@mass.gov by the due date noted above. Email all required forms in their original Word or Excel formats (e.g., not converted to a PDF; with the exception of the signed Part I documents which should be converted to PDF). Note: Electronic signatures are required on the emailed versions.

Do not submit the special education cost calculator via email. Due to the student level information that will be included in the completed special education cost calculator, additional instructions will be provided to districts who submit Parts I-III.

Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget in EdGrants and upload required documents. Grant recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

Last Updated: December 23, 2020