The joint committee discussed a joint statement from Mayor Garcia and Superintendent Anthony Soto affirming immigrants’ rights and a superintendent memo intended to ease anxiety among newcomer families and instruct staff on how to respond to inquiries about immigration enforcement.

Superintendent Anthony Soto said the memo’s immediate goals were to reassure families and staff amid “a lot of misinformation” and to reduce chronic absenteeism. “Our chronic absenteeism is, you know, almost 50 percent,” Soto said, adding that the district has had a marked increase in newcomer families this year — “over 100 this year,” he said — including arrivals from Haiti, Afghanistan and Spanish‑speaking countries. Soto said the district does not collect immigration‑status documentation and that staff should direct families to legal counsel rather than try to advise on immigration questions.

Soto described operational impacts and funding mechanics: if students qualify as homeless under McKinney‑Vento (for example, families staying in hotels or shelters), transportation costs are largely reimbursable through federal McKinney‑Vento reimbursements; he noted those reimbursements typically lag by a year and that the district must enroll students by Oct. 1 to be counted for the next year’s state revenue. He estimated McKinney‑Vento transportation is currently a material part of the district’s transportation line and said reimbursements are close to full for qualifying students.

Committee members asked how large the newcomer population is, how the district provides language support, and whether federal or state policy changes could create budget uncertainty. Soto said the district has increased translation and interpretation services, added a paraprofessional for Haitian‑Creole speakers, and runs intensive newcomer programs. He recommended families work with immigration attorneys or resettlement agencies (he mentioned Catholic Charities in the transcript) for legal questions.

The committee voted to record the joint statement and superintendent memo as received and discussed the need to monitor state or federal funding changes that could affect district resources for newcomers. Members asked the superintendent to keep the council and school committee informed about funding and policy changes that could alter transportation and service costs.

No disciplinary or enforcement incidents were reported in the discussion; the memo focuses on staff guidance, family reassurance and attendance.