Malden adopts eight policy updates, Protect Act rule
Malden schools beat the statewide MCAS slide while enrollment drops to 5,821 students.
School Committee · Meeting of October 5, 2026
Malden schools beat the statewide MCAS slide while enrollment drops to 5,821 students. Assistant Superintendent Kamal Basim told the School Committee every Malden school made accountability-system progress this year, with Malden High School more than doubling its share of targets met and English learners now outscoring the state average on the ACCESS exam. Member Peter Piazza pressed administrators on gaps in two new policies: a missing 100-yard smoking buffer and unresolved language on pre-appointing legal guardians and shielding non-public school spaces under the state's new Protect Act.
The committee adopted all eight Policy Subcommittee items unanimously, including renaming its 2019 immigration-protection policy "Policy ACL" to align with the Protect Act, and then voted 8-0, with one member's vote not recorded, to enter executive session on Malden Education Association contract talks. "That is true, but it is not Malden's story," Basim said of the statewide MCAS decline.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,430 words
Source: the School Committee meeting of October 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Members read the rest of this story and every Malden meeting we cover, in full.
Become a memberAlready a member? Sign inA 30-day free trial needs a payment method. After it, your membership renews at the price shown at checkout until you cancel, which you can do anytime from your account. Subscription terms
Share this story
Know someone in Malden who follows town government? Share Townbrief Malden: they can sign up free.