Special Olympics Massachusetts names Dighton-Rehoboth schools a Unified Champion District
The honor builds on Unified Sports, student leadership and whole-school programs, and four of the district's five schools have earned Unified Champion School recognition on their own.
DIGHTON Special Olympics Massachusetts has named the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District a Unified Champion District, recognizing inclusion work the district says reaches all five of its schools in Dighton and Rehoboth.
The district received the honor Friday, Oct. 23. "This recognition represents so much more than sports," the district said in its announcement the next morning. "It's about friendships, teamwork, student leadership, and ensuring that every student knows they belong."
Three parts to the program
Unified Champion Schools is the Special Olympics program that brings students with and without intellectual disabilities together at school. Special Olympics Massachusetts builds it on Unified Sports, which puts students of all abilities on the same team, and on inclusive youth leadership, in which students take on leading roles alongside adults. The third part, whole-school engagement, covers awareness activities meant to reach most of a school's students and staff.
A school that shows all three can apply to Special Olympics Massachusetts to be named a Unified Champion School, the organization says. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association works with Special Olympics Massachusetts to promote Unified Sports in its member schools.
Beckwith led the way
D.L. Beckwith Middle School was one of 19 Massachusetts schools that Special Olympics North America picked for national banner recognition for the 2023-2024 school year, Special Olympics Massachusetts announced in September 2024. Banner schools met 10 national standards of excellence in inclusion, advocacy and respect, the organization said at the time.
More recently, Dighton Elementary School, Palmer River Elementary School and Dighton Middle School have celebrated their own Unified Champion School recognitions, the district said in an Oct. 23 press release on the honor.
In its Oct. 24 announcement, the district thanked Carol Jerauld, its Unified programming coordinator, "whose passion and leadership have helped bring our districtwide vision to life." It also thanked its Unified liaisons and coaches, staff, families, the special education parent advisory council known as DR SEPAC, the District Leadership Team and the School Committee, and said "the greatest credit belongs to our students, who show us every day what inclusion looks like in action."
Runey and Jerauld on the honor
"This recognition is incredibly meaningful because it speaks to who we are becoming as a school district," Superintendent Bill Runey said in the release. "We've worked hard to build a culture where every student feels valued, connected, and proud to be part of something bigger than themselves."
Runey said strengthening Unified programming throughout the district has been one of his priorities this school year, and he credited Jerauld's "passion, leadership, and tireless advocacy." Of the students, he said, "They're not simply participating in a program. They're helping shape the culture of our schools."
"Unified is about creating opportunities for students to see one another for who they are, recognize each other's strengths, and build friendships that might not otherwise happen," Jerauld said in the release. "What makes this recognition so special is that it belongs to everyone."
She added, "To see Unified grow from individual programs into something embraced throughout the entire district is incredibly rewarding. We're building something that will continue to make a difference for students for years to come."
Falcon Cup to the marching band
On Oct. 31, the district gave its first Falcon Cup of the 2026-2027 school year to the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School Marching Band, its staff and boosters for making participation in the band more accessible. The group "worked together, found a solution, and made sure every student could participate and belong as an important part of the team," the district said, calling it "another wonderful example of inclusion in action."
From Inclusion to Belonging
Under the theme "From Inclusion to Belonging," the district has set a broader vision for Unified programming that runs from preschool through high school and beyond, its release said, and is working to strengthen connections among its schools and widen chances for students to take part.
Plans for the 2026-2027 school year include strengthening Unified programming across grade levels and expanding opportunities for student leadership and engagement, with a culminating Unified celebration in June 2027, The Taunton Daily Gazette reported Monday. The paper reported that the work ties into the district's DRiving Toward 2030 strategic plan.
How to reach the district
The Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District central office is at 2700 Regional Road in North Dighton, 508-252-5000. The district's schools are Dighton Elementary, Palmer River Elementary, Dighton Middle, Beckwith Middle and Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
The Oct. 23 recognition, the district's words and its thanks come from the district's own Oct. 24 announcement, and the Falcon Cup from its Oct. 31 post, both read Nov. 2. What a Unified Champion School is and the 2023-2024 national banner for D.L. Beckwith Middle School come from Special Olympics Massachusetts's own pages, read Nov. 2. The quotes from Superintendent Bill Runey and coordinator Carol Jerauld and the recognitions of the other three schools come from the district's Oct. 23 press release. The district's plans for this school year and June 2027 come from The Taunton Daily Gazette's Nov. 2 report, credited in the story. The schools, address and phone come from the district's website. No student is named or described.
Corrections
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Sources (5)
- Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District live feed: "We are a Unified Champion District!" (Oct. 24, 2026) and the Falcon Cup post (Oct. 31, 2026)The Oct. 23 recognition by Special Olympics Massachusetts, the district's quotes and thanks, the photo; the Falcon Cup to the high school marching band. Posted Oct. 24, 2026, 8 a.m., and Oct. 31, 2026, 7 a.m. Read Nov. 2, 2026.
- Special Olympics Massachusetts: Inclusive Schools program pageThe three components of Unified Champion Schools and how a school applies; the MIAA partnership. Read Nov. 2, 2026.
- Special Olympics Massachusetts: "Massachusetts Schools Celebrate National Banner Recognition for 2023-2024 School Year," by Erin FishD.L. Beckwith Middle School among 19 Massachusetts national banner schools; the 10 national standards. Posted Sept. 24, 2024. Read Nov. 2, 2026.
- The Taunton Daily Gazette, "Dighton-Rehoboth schools earn top inclusion honor," by Beth McDermott (Nov. 2, 2026)Credited for the district's plans for the 2026-2027 school year, the June 2027 celebration and the DRiving Toward 2030 tie. Posted Nov. 2, 2026, 4:47 a.m. Read Nov. 2, 2026.
- Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District: press release, "Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District Named Unified Champion District by Special Olympics Massachusetts" (Oct. 23, 2026), and the district websiteQuotes from Superintendent Bill Runey and Unified Programming Coordinator Carol Jerauld; the recognitions of Dighton Elementary, Palmer River Elementary and Dighton Middle; the "From Inclusion to Belonging" vision from preschool through high school (release provided by the district Nov. 2, 2026). The five schools and the central office address and phone come from the website. Read Nov. 2, 2026.