New proposed METCO budget cuts lead to rally
METCO Parent Legislative Committee Chair Cheryl Antoine rallies the crowd with a series of calls and responses.
February 26, 2015
About 150 parents, children and supporters of the Metropolitan Council (METCO) gathered yesterday evening at the Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts for a rally in protest of the budget cuts proposed by Governor Charlie Baker issued earlier this month. The cuts would decrease METCO’s budget by 6.3 percent or $1.2 million, according to the State House News Service.
“I need you to be so pissed off because the bottom line is your children are being shortchanged, our children are being shortchanged,” METCO director Aleisa Gittens-Carle said.
Speakers at the rally included Gittens-Carle, Massachusetts Representative Elizabeth Malia of Jamaica Plain, lobbyist Charles Glick, METCO Parent Legislative Committee Chairs Cheryl Antoine and Michael Kozu, METCO Executive Director Jean McGuire and two parents of METCO students.
According to section 9C of Chapter 29 of Massachusetts General Law, whenever the state overspends its budget, the Governor has to propose cuts in order to balance the budget. However, Glick said that most programs only received 1-2 percent cuts, as opposed to METCO’s 6.3 percent cut.
“We’re tired of fighting for money,” METCO parent Elizabeth Nagarajah said. “We should be funded every year like other programs in the state.”
The METCO program is organizing a march on March 19 at the Massachusetts State House.
Sofia Tong can be contacted at [email protected]
