School Committee Adopts Protect Act Policy

School Committee · Meeting of October 5, 2026

Middleton School Committee adopts Protect Act policy limiting immigration enforcement at schools. Meeting with only three of five members present, the committee voted unanimously to waive Policy BGB and then adopt Policy ACL, the "Protect Act," after weeks of review with outside legal counsel; the policy bars enforcement activity on school property without a judicial warrant. A town administrator's letter set a preliminary 2 percent FY28 budget guideline, after the district helped the town offset roughly $100,000 in costs this year via health-insurance savings.

Staff reported eight instances in September of drivers passing a stopped school bus's arm in Middleton, under discussion for a possible AI camera program carrying $250 fines. The committee also debated a new federal tax credit for private-school scholarship donations, which the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and the Massachusetts Association of School Committees have both urged Gov. Maura Healey not to adopt, and voted unanimously to name Dave DeBonis as its MASC conference delegate and Jackie DeBotta as alternate.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,207 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.