In another approach to upgrading education for Boston's Black students, the Metropolitan Council for Education Opportunity ( METCO) was founded in 1966, and 219 Boston students began attending school in seven suburban communities (Newton, Brookline, Wellesley, Lexington, Lincoln, Arlington, and Braintree). Today there are 3,200 METCO students from Boston's Black neighborhoods attending school in 34 suburban school districts. METCO is the only program of its kind in the United States.