Letter from Superintendent Francis: Immigration Enforcement Changes Related to Schools

Dear Berkley Schools community,

Today I am writing to you regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s action rescinding its policy that restricted immigration enforcement in schools and other previously protected areas. Many administrators including myself have received questions about what the District is planning to do if an Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Federal agent visited one of our buildings and what your rights are. This message will provide resources you may find helpful and clarity on this issue.

We are committed to protecting the rights and privacy of our students and staff. This includes following our standard visitor protocols, only releasing students to adults on the emergency contact list and complying with the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) as defined by Board Policy 8330, which safeguards protected student information.

We have developed guidelines for our school administrators and secretaries if a Federal agent were to visit our schools. This protocol includes the following:

• Determine the reason for the visit.
• Ask for identification, log the visitor in the Raptor system and ask the agent to wait while administrators are contacted.
• Contact the Superintendent’s Office and the building administrator.
• The Superintendent and/or his designee will then review the situation with an attorney and the School Resource Officer to determine next steps.

To our families who are wondering what their rights are, Oakland Schools shared the following resource: Know Your Rights website. This website has many documents in multiple languages which I hope you find helpful.

If your child appears to be impacted by the news or has questions, I would encourage you to review this article - How to Talk to Your Child about the News by Kidshealth.org. In addition, our mental health staff are always available to talk to our students if they are having a difficult time.

Finally, I want to make it clear that we are committed to living into our District Vision. Creating an inclusive culture and a place of belonging for each and every one of our students and staff members will continue to be our priority.

Sincerely,

Scott Francis
Superintendent

Berkley Schools