Superintendent Responds To Political Campaigning On School Grounds: Framingham Schools

FRAMINGHAM, MA—After representatives for a mayoral candidate visited Framingham High School on Aug. 28, Superintendent Robert Tremblay asked for clarification on whether it violated any policies involving political campaigning on school grounds.

Framingham Schools' policy on political solicitations in schools states that, "Framingham Public School recognizes that Political signs are protected under free speech provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Framingham Public Schools supports our students in political activism and will adhere to the Town of Framingham bylaws allowing political signage, posters, handbills, placards, pictures and circulars to be posted upon school grounds."

Tremblay issued the following statement on Aug. 31:

As an entity, Framingham Public Schools is not only a conduit of knowledge and learning to its students but also a democratic agency that cultivates civic enlightenment, fosters the ideals of this
nation, and nurtures an engaged future citizenship. As such, it was hardly my intent to curtail - in any
way - the Constitutional foundations upon which our schools promote civic learning.

After a further review with Town Counsel of the August 28th incident involving political
campaign activity at Framingham High School, as well as a thorough examination of the applicable
policies of the Framingham School Committee, including Policy KFC – "Community Use of School
Grounds," I no longer maintain that such campaign activity expressly violated any specific School
Committee policy; rather, upon reflection, it is my position that such activity, having been conducted
in the time, place and manner relayed to me by Framingham High School staff, was distracting to
school personnel who were attending a teacher in-service training day on August 28th.

Therefore, in applying the requirements of Policy KFC, which requires that I determine whether the use of
school grounds is “consistent with the requirements of the schools,” I believe that the political
campaign activity of August 28th could be validly restricted. Indeed, school grounds are not
traditional public fora like streets or parks; our schools and adjacent school grounds are primarily
intended to educate the children of our community and, as such, should not be used for political
campaigning while schools are in use for educational purposes or during the school day, except as
permitted by the policies of the School Committee.

In the future, I encourage campaigns to reach out to my office prior to engaging in any
campaign activities on school grounds. Our collective goal is to protect the interests and needs of
Framingham Public School employees and students while simultaneously promoting the democratic
sentiments of our nation. I believe that collaboratively we can ensure that we model the democratic
principles to our children.

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