[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6682266,"mediaKeyId","2220384-5cbc37843d36fc3009279b0276d781a5","parentId",2220384,"title","Parents, students and health experts urge Wake County school board to shield immigrant families from enforcement","audioSeconds",3499,"startMs",1504000,"endMs",5003000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220384-5cbc37843d36fc3009279b0276d781a5&start=1504&end=5003","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220384-5cbc37843d36fc3009279b0276d781a5/thumbnail_1504000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6682266/North-Carolina/Parents-students-and-health-experts-urge-Wake-County-school-board-to-shield-immigrant-families-from-enforcement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6682266-c9b2b65dd76c74a23c9886ed88ccfeea/orig.mp4?Expires=1773663478&Signature=YeK0Wt~SxyLh7zOsYFlmJuR9QzyKb-JYY8NB3UF3cX8AHhycQAGyiCG-7y3ZnPU2YrgFNFecrVqd8tFEvSKNf3-4cuvEv-0kvInSL794dInnfBenysPyQOUR9o~aLppmPr1yP3OQEPEn5oXMK42~Q~6kI0OgkrSxrVg8PYawv~ItKu4-iRz5~Gy4MTRIktzARwvT6y8Bb2uRs2~M5RfIEnqFKxKvXyLWZUkoksn7usOkmVYMGnnZQM5iVjQxJYt-DMGXcbA3jbF3Ih4~Nd9-sX0UDmup~~LPmf4f8PMr7LTgsInE28LG1HKEaiPVCZ-tsZjPthk3q2ppVbrO3n~nLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wake County Schools","date","2025-02-05T03:14:50.63Z","article","At the Wake County Board of Education meeting on Feb. 4, students, parents and community organizations urged school leaders to block immigration-enforcement activity on campus and to issue clearer, stronger protections for immigrant families, saying fear of enforcement is harming children’s ability to learn.

“Every child deserves the chance to learn in an environment free from fear,” said Bailey Owens, a junior at Apex Friendship High School, during the meeting’s public comment period. “I know you are working on a policy, and I urge you to be thorough and unrelenting in the protection of our staff and students.”

The plea came after a series of federal actions and public statements about immigration enforcement that commenters said have amplified anxiety among families. Fernando Martinez, representing community groups including the Lucas and Justice Alliance, told the board Wake County is one of the country’s largest districts and should “be bolder” in protecting students. “Our families are confused. Our families are afraid,” Martinez said.

Health professionals told the board that the fear has measurable effects on children. Dr. Edith Nieves, a board-certified pediatrician, cited research on “toxic stress” and described signs teachers may see in children under stress: withdrawal, difficulty focusing, appetite changes and school absences. “It is our duty as a society to safeguard the well-being of children,” Nieves said.

Other speakers gave personal accounts. Carmen Flores, a community organizer whose remarks were translated into English at the meeting, said parents and children in her community “demand immigration enforcement out of our schools” and asked that school police not interrogate students without parents present. Jessica Guandique described how her son’s caregiver — an undocumented family member — risks arrest simply by stopping at school, and said the family worries about the child’s mental health and exposure to bullying.

A community organizer, Griselda Alonso, told the board that undocumented residents make sizable economic contributions to North Carolina and again urged the board to provide mental-health supports for affected families. Several speakers asked the board for training for area superintendents, bus drivers and school leaders on how to distinguish lawful court orders from other documents and how to respond if an enforcement agent visits a school.

Superintendent Robert Taylor told the board the district has shared guidance with principals and staff about how to respond if an immigration agent appears at a school and reiterated the district’s top priority. “Our number one priority is to make sure that students are safe when they come to school,” Taylor said, adding that the district does not ask for immigration information when students enroll.

Chair Haggerty and several board members acknowledged the crowd and the distress described by parents and speakers. The chair said the board was navigating fast-moving federal developments and emphasized that the district will interpret and follow the law while seeking to minimize harm to students.

Speakers asked the district for additional concrete steps: clearer and more public schoolwide statements affirming schools as safe spaces, training and legal clinics for families, stronger direction to school resource officers and staff on how to handle enforcement visits, better access to bilingual mental-health counselors, and public communication aimed at reducing fear among families.

The board did not take a formal vote on new policy during the Feb. 4 meeting. Taylor said the district will continue to interpret federal guidance as it is issued and will communicate required compliance and recommended practices to school leaders. Community groups in the audience asked for follow-up meetings and public updates about any new or refined district guidance.

Why it matters: Advocates told the board that fear of enforcement can reduce attendance, impair focus and increase trauma for students and families — outcomes that school officials say undermine the district’s academic mission and students’ health.

What’s next: Superintendent Taylor said staff will continue to provide guidance and training; community advocates asked the board to adopt firmer public statements and to organize legal and mental-health supports for families who say they are living in fear.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-02-04 Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At the Wake County Board of Education meeting on Feb. 4, students, parents and community organizations urged school leaders to block immigration-enforcement activity on campus and to issue clearer, stronger protections for immigrant families.","taxTitle","Wake County Schools, School Districts, North Carolina","taxId",14083,"location","North Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6682261,"Wake County school board approves 2025 state legislative priorities after amendments on licensure, vouchers and meals",1996,8048000,10044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220384-5cbc37843d36fc3009279b0276d781a5&start=8048&end=10044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220384-5cbc37843d36fc3009279b0276d781a5/thumbnail_8048000.jpg","/articles/6682261/North-Carolina/Wake-County-school-board-approves-2025-state-legislative-priorities-after-amendments-on-licensure-vouchers-and-meals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6682261-1157ac2c3cba5369b5a9890901ad4af0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773663478&Signature=aL81T16T0~lz~vp2Z1nlUC9D6rdHCIjA55mR~Re0Fo8eEALbZiHKCvxml4FoxR2r83C501DaXUP-QfPNMQ-5SQrase9Nr1rcbxhTkHjcZqbxYpFSfKGLOG8wFHMke1WJqr4ra31CT1eS4qezr5fxxVVbhOtML6OTuE-ILJLueK9KHRvD64jKlPzZVIdQijOaubHc2ACvyCFvvgIBwoT5nSn2FCu-rOvX-4AEhpKBlQOeUR1VN6ayGHviDBTWjF6h38t-oP2lbqNzvC9wf0gnEbaVmF-nfV-q0e2nbXR6iP~~1URF12Y5rM2UQXNF8vfQokEhoY-xhrQmZOewbbhQOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wake County Board of Education unanimously adopted its 2025 state legislative priorities on Feb. 4 after a series of amendments that added calls to reduce barriers to teacher licensure, oppose expansion of private school vouchers, request additional funding for school meals and expand “restart” school flexibility.

Vice Chair Lester Swanson moved to adopt the board’s legislative priorities and Board Member Mahaffey seconded the motion. After multiple amendments and debate the final document was approved by the full board by a unanimous vote.

Among the amendments the board approved:

- Reducing barriers to teacher licensure: A motion led by Board Member Hershey asked the General Assembly to accept out-of-state licensure tests, eliminate additional testing requirements such as the edTPA, and reduce state licensure fees to help recruitment and retention. The board adopted the amendment and instructed staff to incorporate the text into the state priorities.

- Prioritizing public school funding over private vouchers: Board Member Edmonds moved language asking the General Assembly to “prioritize public school dollars to fully fund public schools, not private school vouchers.” That amendment passed after debate and was incorporated into the funding section of the legislative priorities.

- Funding and nutrition: Board Member Caulfield successfully proposed language seeking state funding for “adequate funding for improved nutrition” for K–12 students and retained a separate request to close remaining gaps for no-cost meals in K–5 if the state pursues universal meal funding. Superintendent Robert Taylor told the board staff would calculate specific dollar estimates for the funding request and share them with board leadership.

- Restart-school flexibility: The board added language asking the General Assembly to expand the use of “restart” school flexibility — authority that has been granted to some low-performing schools to make charter-like operational adjustments — to more public schools so districts can better match resources and programs to local needs.

Board debate touched on strategy and tactics as well as substance. Members who opposed adding explicit anti-voucher language argued the board should aim for shared, practical language that legislators from both parties would read rather than wording that could distract from other priorities. Members who supported the voucher language said it was important for the board to state its values and to call attention to the growing state expenditure on vouchers.

Superintendent Taylor and staff answered questions about numbers and implementation. Taylor said staff would verify funding estimates cited during the meeting and provide a final figure for the district’s nutrition ask.

Formal outcome: After amendments and finish-line procedural votes, the board voted to adopt the 2025 state legislative priorities as amended; the meeting record shows the final adoption was unanimous.

Why it matters: The school board’s state priorities become the document staff and board members take to lawmakers in Raleigh and shape the district’s state-level advocacy for funding, policy changes and regulatory relief. Approved changes target teacher pipeline barriers, gatekeep expansion of public dollars to private schools, and seek additional resources for student nutrition and local operational flexibility.

What’s next: Staff will finalize the formatted legislative priorities with the approved amendments, identify specific funding estimates for the nutrition ask, and prepare the district’s state advocacy package for the General Assembly.","The Wake County Board of Education voted Feb. 4 to adopt its 2025 state legislative advocacy priorities after approving last-minute amendments addressing teacher licensure barriers, private school voucher language, expanded school meal funding and restart-school flexibility; the final agenda was adopted unanimously.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parents, students and health experts urge Wake County school board to shield immigrant families from enforcement

Wake County school board approves 2025 state legislative priorities after amendments on licensure, vouchers and meals