Marblehead’s METCO program suffers cutbacks

MARBLEHEAD – The next director of Marblehead’s 72-student METCO program could find themselves scrambling to make up for this year’s budget cuts.The program brings inner city children and youths to Marblehead to attend school.Current Director Kristina Kyles, who will become Marblehead High’s newest assistant principal July 1, said the cuts will affect student transportation, tutoring, the host family program and METCO’s new Gospel Choir.In fact, Kyles is ready to question Gov. Deval Patrick about the state aid cutbacks when he appears at Marblehead High tonight at 7:30, seeking feedback on the state’s fiscal problems.The Fiscal 2009 budget cuts, resulting from reductions in state aid, reduced METCO’s $288,000 share of the school budget to $265,018. That’s a reduction of just under $23,000, or 8 percent.Kyles pointed out that this cutback occurred March 1, requiring her to cut $23,000 out of the last third of her account. "We’re looking at another $11,000 cut next year," she added.The cutbacks included a reduction in late bus transportation, which is used by the half of her students who are involved in after school programs and the 18-student Gospel Choir, the program’s popular new extracurricular activity.They ended METCO’s Charlie Pass purchases, which enabled students to stay in town after the late bus departed and ride a bus to reach the METCO bus stop and the tutoring program for students at Marblehead High. The cutbacks may also ax the host family coordinator, who finds Marblehead families to act as local partners for METCO students.Kyles said she is working closely with Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac to restore some of the programs, particularly the tutoring program.