By Michael Coughlin Jr.
During the Revere School Committee’s regular meeting last week, the committee’s student representative highlighted the unhappiness of several students, parents, and teachers stemming from the failure to pass a Resolution for Safe Haven last month.
Vice-Chair Jacqueline Monterroso introduced the Resolution for Safe Haven, which responds to concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was described by her as a “simple restatement of the law.”
While community members, such as students who spoke during the public speaking portion of the meeting last month, spoke in favor of the resolution, some committee members feared it would bring unneeded attention and targeting that could lead to protests, among other unintended consequences.
Ultimately, the resolution failed to pass by a vote of 3-2 last month. However, at last week’s meeting, the student representative for the school committee mentioned that this decision was unpopular amongst many students, teachers, and parents.
“Many have expressed concerns that the timeline from inception to vote was too short, which caused limited discussion of the resolution,” said the student representative.
They continued by saying that many students thought the idea that the resolution would put a target on students’ backs was unfounded. “Many students feel less safe without the passage of this resolution and are requesting alternative solutions along with improved communication from the school.”
The representative then read from a letter from the Revere High School Student Senate and Revere Student Representatives, which detailed how the actions of the federal government have vastly impacted many community members’ daily routines.
The letter stated that the decision not to pass the resolution was “actively keeping families in the dark” and “does not reflect the wishes of the entire Revere community.”
The letter also highlighted the importance of passing the resolution, pointing to Revere’s foreign-born population, which, according to 2019-2023 data on the United States Census Bureau website, is 43.5%.
“If we truly want to put our words into action, we must ensure all district stakeholders are protected and in the know about the support around them,” reads the letter.
“As a result of the heightened ICE activity in the region, students fear going to school, and in some cases, guardians are fearful of sending their own children to school out of worry of what it could mean for their families.”
The letter goes on to mention that the resolution would help restore education and trust and that Revere would not be alone in taking action. It cites an op-ed by Chelsea Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Almi G. Abeyta in The Boston Globe—“Schools must be safe havens for every child.”
The letter also pushed back on the idea that the resolution could harm students. “Still, there are arguments that creating a safe haven district would put a target on students’ backs. While this rhetoric may be from a place of concern, it is unfounded and ultimately dangerous.”
“Some worry that this decision could possibly bring protests to school, but in the cases of Lynn and Chelsea, this backlash never occurred. As a matter of fact, publicly announcing that these districts were safe havens reaffirmed trust within these communities.”
After the letter was read aloud—which ended with hope for a solution—Monterroso praised the students for their advocacy and mentioned that she would be on stand-by regarding the resolution if committee members wanted to rediscuss it.
Further, Mayor Patrick Keefe, who did not attend last month’s meeting when the resolution was voted on, noted that he heard the students.
“I want to make sure that you are aware that regardless of any status that is put out there, the city is going to continue to protect its student population no matter the status of your immigration,” said Keefe.
“We’re going to continue to give the lawful information that you deserve, and any families out there that do need that information, we have it available,” he added, indicating that he thought 99.9% of faculty know rights and can offer them to those in need in every language.
To view the Resolution for Safe Haven, go to pages 28 and 29 of the February 25th School Committee Regular Meeting agenda packet, which can be found at https://reverema.iqm2.com/Citizens/Calendar.aspx.
“Regardless of any resolutions, you’re going to be protected in our school system, and you’re going to be in the know,” said Keefe.
