Groups both for and against becoming a sanctuary town held signs outside of town hall Monday, February 27th.
Inside, the board of selectman came to its unanimous decision after public comment where hundreds were on hand to listen. The board officially endorsed warrant article 59 that will go before town meeting members in April.
The article is proposed by the Arlington human rights commission and is seen as largely symbolic but comes with a remote risk of losing federal aid. People from both sides of the argument gave their reasons – some wanting to ensure that illegal immigrants don’t have to worry about being asked their status, others wanting to make sure no law is broken by becoming a sanctuary town.
Town meeting members will ultimately decide if Arlington becomes a sanctuary town during town meeting in April.
Arlington High School was invited into the feasibility study period by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. If all goes as planned it means AHS will receive state funds for a new building.
Town voters approved money for a feasibility study last June. This after the high school was notified it was at risk of losing accreditation for failing facilities. An architect will be hired to come up with options to renovate or rebuild the high school. Superintendent Kathleen Bodie says residents will then get a chance to review the options by next school year.
A proposition 2½ vote would likely be needed to fully fund the project. If all goes to plan, Arlington could have a new high school by 2022.
