School Committee Adopts Immigrant Protections

School Committee · Meeting of January 26, 2026

WATERTOWN — The Watertown School Committee voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution reaffirming protections for immigrant students and families. Member Sheila Krishnan drafted the measure, which states Watertown Public Schools "does not ask for a family's immigration status" and bars ICE agents from buildings without a judicial warrant signed by a federal judge. Parents and former staff, including Tara Conklin and a speaker identified only as Holly, urged support during public comment, describing fear among students whose parents worry about detention.

Public commenter Lily Raymond-Reed called the measure's protections "actionable." The superintendent said staff have been trained on ICE protocols, purged files of citizenship-related records, and run monthly "Know Your Rights" webinars with the Rapid Response Network. Separately, the district's Athena K-12 special education review, delivered January 16, recommended six areas of change.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Watertown's community access TV: School Committee meeting, January 26, 2026
• The complete report: 839 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of January 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.