NORFOLK, Mass. — Parents expressed concern about the unknown Tuesday night of how an expected influx of migrant children will soon be housed at the former Baystate Correctional Facility in Norfolk.
“We simply don’t have the capacity to take on the numbers the state is talking about,” said Matt Bielak, who is a parent in town.
He and others at a school committee meeting were concerned about how that would impact schools.
“What is the plan when there is no physical space,” said Lindsay Mallet, another parent.
Boston 25 News visited the site of the former jail but did not see any noticeable construction that would indicate preparations for migrants who are expected to move here in mid-June.
The school superintendent says the state still has not informed them how many new students will be coming to the district.
“Again we do not yet know the population of students coming in,” said Dr. Ingrid Allardi, the Norfolk Superintendent of Schools.
On Tuesday, the school committee approved a letter to the state requesting to be part of funding from the emergency aid reimbursement program for students coming from shelters. The state provides $104 per day per student and the hope is that money can be used to pay for any staff they may need to hire.
At this point, the district only has two English as a second language or ESL teachers.
The district will be required to screen any new students and assess what language they speak and then will need to provide services.
“This is a small town this is a small community I think people are very concerned and have a lot of worries and a lot of questions that are absolutely fair,” said Dr. Allardi.
Parents tonight understand the need to help any incoming students but also want to be sure their own children’s education doesn’t suffer in the meantime.
“The selectman, the people in town a couple of weeks ago no one is forthcoming with a plan. So I am coming to this board to ask you to show me something because it’s my children who are going to be impacted,” said Bielak.
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