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District says Martin Middle School unavailable to Taunton Together; parents urge reinstatement
Summary
Parents, students and staff urged the Taunton School Committee to restore facility access for the Taunton Together summer program; the district response read at the meeting says Superintendent Cabral denied the request citing space limitations and other agencies were also denied.
The Taunton School Committee heard multiple public appeals on June 18 from parents, students and staff asking the district to reinstate use of school facilities—particularly Martin Middle School—for the Taunton Together summer program.
A group of eight speakers including Lisa Smith, Jaeden Bayracly and others told the committee the program supports participants’ mental health, routine, safety and inclusion. A letter from City Councilor Philip Duarte in support of the program was read during public input.
Dr. DeMelo read the district’s written response to a municipal motion asking why Martin Middle School could not be used. The response, submitted June 10, 2025, states that Superintendent Cabral denied the request and that other outside agencies seeking summer space were also denied due to space limitations.
The committee did not take a formal vote overturning the denial during the meeting. Dr. DeMelo told the speakers they could remain for administrative business, where the response letter was included in the packet and discussed. Committee members did not announce any immediate change to the district’s decision during the session.
Next steps: the district response remains on file and the topic can be raised again in future meetings; community members were advised to follow up through the school committee’s published agenda and packet materials.
