Supporting Our Community

Keeping All Students Safe

The stunning news and images of yesterday’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations that resulted in the killing of a community member in Minneapolis has created distress among our students, staff and within our communities.

Our job as educators in South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) is to care for each and every one of our students and ensure their safety. SoWashCo Schools is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for all students. Every student has a constitutional right to attend school regardless of their immigration status, and public schools must remain a safe haven for learning.

This provides information that details how SoWashCo Schools handles interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). At this time, no students or staff have been approached by ICE agents at school or on school grounds.

SoWashCo Schools has established strict procedures for responding to requests or presence by law enforcement agencies, including ICE. These procedures are in place to protect the safety, privacy and well-being of our students and staff.

• As always, our schools are locked and all visitors must identify themselves before being let into a school. Federal agents and law enforcement are not permitted on school property or in school buildings without a valid judicial warrant.
• ICE is required to follow district protocols when accessing school property.
  • This includes compliance with our visitor check-in system, Visitors to District Buildings and Sites (Policy 903), which outlines the steps and documentation required before any contact takes place.
• If a report of ICE activity or other safety concern is verified near a school, the school will coordinate with SoWashCo leadership and may put the school into a Secure protocol to ensure the safety of students and staff.
• If a student does not feel safe, when arriving or leaving school and/or on the school bus, they may remain in the school or on the bus and a parent or family member will be contacted.
• Staff are trained to prioritize the safety of students and will not release a student to anyone without the proper identification and valid legal paperwork, including federal agents.

Directory Information: SoWashCo Schools does not collect or store information regarding the immigration status of students or their families.

If you have any concerns about your children or notice that they need additional support, please don’t hesitate to contact your school principal and encourage your children to talk with a counselor, social worker, teacher or another trusted adult at school.

Our SoWashCo Schools staff is here to care for each and every student and ensure their safety. Every interaction we have with one another matters. You belong here, and are valued members of our school community.

If your family has questions or needs support, please reach out to your student’s school.

Supporting Our Community

South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) values every member of our community and we are always here to support you.

All children in the United States have a constitutional right to equal access to public educational opportunities regardless of their immigration status or the status of their parent(s).

U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler vs. Doe

Changes in federal immigration enforcement practices do not impact our legal responsibility to protect the rights and privacy of our students, staff and families. We will continue to follow district protocols, policies and state and federal laws, including the following:

• SoWashCo Schools does not collect or maintain information about the immigration status of any student or their family members.
• Staff must follow our guidance for immigration issues.
• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects the privacy of student education records and restricts the sharing of personally identifiable information without parental consent or a lawfully-issued subpoena or court order.

SoWashCo Schools has provided school leaders and school staff with guidance to handle potential interactions with immigration enforcement officials. SoWashCo Schools will always do everything we can to support our students.

Directory Information

SoWashCo Schools does not ask for information about a family’s immigration status. SoWashCo Schools does not designate any personal contact information on a student as directory information (public information). Additionally, protected class status—including race, national origin, or immigrant status—is not directory information.