By Dakota Antelman – [email protected]
School superintendent Laurie Hunter announced internal selections to lead Concord’s METCO programs in the 2025-26 school year, opting to promote established leaders rather than introduce new administrators.
After months of tumult for the METCO program, Hunter urged families to help celebrate the appointees and thanked the committees tasked with helping fill METCO vacancies.
Hunter announced the appointments in the March 7 edition of her weekly email update to families. Current interim high school METCO director Malinthi Fernando will stay at the high school in a permanent role. METCO coordinators Solange Benjamin and Andre Thomas will fill director and assistant director roles in the K-8 system, respectively. All appointments are effective July 1.
METCO is a voluntary integration program where students from Boston attend suburban schools. METCO Inc. president and CEO Milly Arbaje-Thomas recently praised Concord as an example for other communities. Arbaje-Thomas acknowledged the district has room to grow but cautioned this will take time.
Despite Arbaje-Thomas’ compliments, parents have criticized district leadership and noted racist incidents at Concord-Carlisle High School. Turnover among METCO directors also troubled some families.
Fernando stepped in for former CCHS METCO director Debra Jemison when Jemison went on leave last summer. Jemison formally resigned in December.
Dewayne Clachar was the K-8 METCO director in the 2023-24 school year. The position has been vacant this school year, with Benjamin and Thomas serving as coordinators. Hunter did not respond to a question from The Concord Bridge asking whether the schools plan to fill the coordinator positions once Benjamin and Thomas assume their new roles.
Domingos DaRosa, who resigned his seat as a METCO representative on the School Committee last year amid frustration with school administrators, said he is glad the schools have appointed new METCO directors.
In text messages to The Bridge, he said administrators must work with parents, adding, “The work plan has to fit the community needs, not the other way around.”
DaRosa said students “need to be able to access before and after school services.”
“The district has to prioritize students of color,” he said.
In her March 7 announcement, Hunter said Fernando, Benjamin, and Thomas, have all expanded extracurricular opportunities, among other things.
In Fernando’s new role, Hunter said one priority will be to boost parent engagement.
Hunter said Benjamine will work with Thomas to “develop a vision for the CPS METCO program and keep families, faculty, and support staff informed about opportunities to engage on her priorities.”
