Somerville board votes to acknowledge creation of student group 'Club America' after policy debate

The Somerville Board of Education voted to acknowledge the creation of a student group called Club America after a prolonged discussion over which district policy should govern student organizations.

Lila Macy, a senior who petitioned for the group, told the board the club’s purpose “is to educate students about the benefits of limited government, capitalism, free markets, and freedom as a whole.” Macy said the organization plans tabling and speaker events and that its national sponsor, Turning Point USA, offers grants between $100 and $2,500 to start local chapters.

The board’s debate centered on whether board approval is required for student‑led clubs or whether principal approval under district policy 5842 is sufficient. One board member argued that “student led initiatives need not be approved by the board. They merely need principal approval,” and urged limiting extra procedural hurdles. Other members said past practice has been to place clubs on the board agenda and that the board can do more than policy requires.

Board President (facilitating the discussion) said the meeting would not determine whether the club is co‑curricular or a student organization but emphasized the board could choose to continue past practice and that any procedural change should be handled in committee rather than decided on the spot. After calling the question and taking a roll call, the motion to acknowledge creation of Club America passed; the roll call recorded 'no' votes from Mister Garcia and Missus Shaw. The board directed that the activities and policy committees review the process for how clubs are categorized and approved going forward.

The student petitioner said the club will be open to all students and described it as nonpartisan in organization, though “it does tend to lean with conservative values,” she said. The board did not evaluate curriculum content during the meeting. The outcome was narrowly procedural: the board acknowledged the club’s formation and signaled it will examine whether the district’s practices should change.

Next steps: the activities committee will examine the club‑approval process and the board may consider policy language to clarify when board action is required.