Public commenters press board on ICE presence in schools and inclusion concerns
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Summary
During public comment a resident asked whether Dover Area School District would allow ICE officers to remove children from schools if local ICE activity increases; the chair referred the question to district policy and solicitor. Other commenters supported the recreation plan and raised worries about harassment of residents of color if programs expand.
At the start of the public comment period, resident Nicholas Dowling asked whether the district would allow federal immigration agents to remove children from school buildings if ICE activity increases in the area. Dowling asked: "If ICE activity increases in our area, is this school district going to allow federal agents to take children out of our schools?" The board chair declined to answer during the public comment period, said the question would be referred to district policy and the solicitor, and encouraged written follow‑up via email.
Other public speakers used the period to support the Dover Township recreation proposal and to raise equity concerns: Dalia Caldwell urged the district to ensure community programs are welcoming and said she hoped people of color would not be harassed when public programs resume. Multiple residents who work for township programs described positive experiences with summer programming and said district partnerships would benefit families and provide seasonal work for paraprofessional staff.
Board response: the chair said the district policy addresses public‑safety and related issues and that the administration will consult the solicitor and respond; no formal policy decision was made during the meeting.