CHELSEA, Mass. — A Chelsea father and two school employees told the Chelsea School Committee on Thursday that federal immigration enforcement had increased in the city this week, and the father pressed school leaders for a written plan to keep students safe and in class.

Zachary Ryan, who said he is a Chelsea resident with two children in the school system, said during public comment that he had asked a year ago what the district would do "when ice finally comes" and was told it was "a city problem."

"So my question is here, they're in town, we've gotten some notifications that they're around," Ryan said. He asked whether the district had seen a drop in attendance over the past two days and how families would get children to school, suggesting ideas such as walking groups in neighborhoods.

"I want to hear what you guys are gonna do. I don't want to hear it's a city problem," Ryan told the committee. "I'm just looking for a plan," he said later.

He also asked the district to repeat know-your-rights training for families, saying the last training took place about two and a half years ago.

A teacher at the district's Early Learning Center thanked the superintendent for "responding so quickly to ensure the safety of all of our students yesterday after the increase of immigration enforcement in the community."

Catherine Anderson, a special education teacher at a Chelsea middle school and president of the Chelsea Teachers Union, said not every district was being as public in responding to "the racist attacks that our community is experiencing right now."

"Every single one of my students was in school today, and I think that's because we are willing to say we are here and we are here for you," Anderson said.

Attendance holding steady, district says

Later in the meeting, a School Committee member asked whether the district had seen any drop in attendance "this week" because of ICE activity, and more broadly since 2025.

District leaders said they had not seen a change. One administrator said high school attendance "really wasn't anything different," and another said elementary principals reported attendance on Wednesday and Thursday was the same as usual. District attendance last year was 89%, the highest since 2021, the administrator said.

The administrator said the district sent a message to families on Wednesday and received many replies thanking the schools, and said parents trust the school system and are continuing to send their children. The administrator said the district would keep watching attendance over the next few weeks.