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Revere High student senate urges school committee to reconsider safe-haven resolution, citing immigrant-family concerns
Summary
Student senate leaders read a letter asking the committee to reverse its decision to reject a safe-haven resolution; the letter said nearly half of Revere residents are foreign-born and cited attendance impacts tied to immigration enforcement concerns.
The Revere High School student senate delivered a letter to the school committee on March 18 urging reconsideration of a previously defeated "safe-haven" resolution and expressing concern about the effect of immigration enforcement on student attendance.
"Revere is a resilient immigrant community," the student senate wrote in the letter read aloud at the meeting, and the students said roughly 43.5% of the city's population is foreign-born. The letter said the committee's prior decision to vote down a safe-haven measure "does not reflect the wishes of the entire Revere community" and that many students and families feel less safe without the resolution.
Student representatives connected attendance declines to heightened ICE activity and cited Chelsea Public Schools' example, where superintendent-led communications after a safe-haven declaration were followed by an attendance increase, the letter said.
"Bypassing the safe-haven resolution, we would not only restore trust, but also education for students that deserve to feel safe in school," the student senate wrote.
Committee members acknowledged receipt of the letter and said they would enter it into the meeting record. Several committee members and the superintendent offered procedural context and said district staff are prepared to provide families with information about rights and protections and to make language-access materials available.
Dr. Kelly said guidance staff and principals can provide families with lawful information and supports regardless of whether the committee adopts a formal resolution. Mayor Keith and committee members reiterated that district staff will make resources available in multiple languages and that families can contact school leaders or committee members with concerns.
