School board reviews draft resolution backing immigrant students and staff; drafters to revise for Sept. 2 meeting

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board of Education reviewed a draft resolution titled "Safe Spaces, Strong Futures" at its Aug. 25 work session and asked the draft authors and administration to revise and shorten the text before the resolution returns for action at the Sept. 2 regular meeting. Board members debated whether the statement should be primarily factual (citing legal protections) or broader in tone and scope.

The resolution was introduced by Mister Burgess, one of the draft authors. "But this resolution is really just a statement of support that notes what is happening on, the federal level all around the nation, what our stance is on that," Burgess told the board, describing the draft as intended to show support for immigrant families and staff without creating new procedures.

Board members and administration focused on three areas: (1) legal limits and protections that already apply at schools, (2) how to phrase the document so it communicates directly and simply to families who may be afraid, and (3) operational follow-up (communications and any needed administrative regulation edits). Superintendent Doctor Meinert reminded the board that the administration has already prepared an administrative regulation addressing how staff should respond if law enforcement seeks access to students or records, and that the resolution would be a public statement rather than a substitute for rules. "I think you summed it up correctly ... it doesn't necessarily direct the work of administration," Meinert said.

Board members asked the drafters to shorten and tighten the text; suggestions included reorganizing the "whereas" clauses, eliminating redundant or legal-judgment language, and leading with the legal protections that apply to students. Several members urged that the resolution emphasize that schools are protected locations for students and that the district does not collect immigration-status information. Miss Maple and Mister Burgess said they would consolidate language and return a revised draft.

The board discussed operational steps that should accompany a public statement. Mister Burgess proposed an explicit resolved clause reiterating that "no district employee shall allow access to or provide records or private information about any student, family, or employee to any non‑emergency law enforcement, including but not limited to ICE, unless presented with a legal and valid warrant and the superintendent or assistant superintendent has granted approval in accordance with Administrative Regulation 1410." Board members also discussed but did not adopt, during the work session, adding direction to incorporate any communication into the district's emergency-communication protocols; several members urged leaving detailed communication planning to administration to avoid conflicts with student-privacy rules.

No formal vote was taken on the resolution during the work session. The board asked Mister Burgess and Miss Maple to work with Superintendent Meinert and legal counsel to produce a shorter draft and return it for inclusion on the Sept. 2 agenda; staff asked for the revised draft by Wednesday evening so it could be properly noticed. The board also asked administration to continue routine outreach and to ensure principals and front‑office staff have up‑to‑date guidance on handling law‑enforcement requests.

Board members and staff emphasized the narrow scope of the measure under discussion: the resolution is a public statement of board position and support, and does not itself create or replace district policy or administrative procedures. Members repeatedly stressed the intent is to reassure families and staff and to point them to existing protections and procedures.

The board recessed after the discussion and will consider the revised draft at a future meeting.