Schools adopt policy restricting ICE on campus

School Committee · Meeting of September 15, 2026

Somerset Berkeley schools adopt policy limiting ICE on campus, stall again on survivor health benefits. The School Committee voted unanimously to approve a new policy barring civil immigration enforcement from school grounds without a judicial warrant, implementing the state's PROTECT Act. Members also extended a stay on reconsidering survivor health benefits under Chapter 32B pending a legal opinion, with Chief Financial Officer Kayla Marston reporting eight people, six tied to Somerset and two to Somerset Berkeley, currently receive the disputed benefit.

One member called the arrangement potentially unfair across the same union while another warned it "is a concern with how union seniority works." Enrollment fell to 860 students, below 900 for the first time, as chronic absenteeism rose to 17.9 percent. The committee approved Erica DeGrado as the district's first lead nurse and secured a $25,000 state grant to plan an early college program with Bristol Community College and UMass Dartmouth.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,752 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of September 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.