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Board reviews ODE guidance on immigration enforcement; superintendent names designee to handle requests
Summary
District leadership reviewed Oregon Department of Education guidance for responding to immigration officials, affirmed student privacy protections and designated the superintendent as the district contact for any immigration‑related requests; trustees and staff discussed potential attendance impacts and options for legal counsel.
Silver Falls School District leaders briefed the board on statewide guidance for dealing with immigration‑enforcement actions at schools and described how the district intends to protect student privacy and safety.
The superintendent told trustees that the Oregon Department of Education guidance clarifies steps districts should take if immigration officials attempt to enter school buildings, including documenting agents' names and badge numbers, asking the purpose of the request, escalating requests to a principal or designee and calling legal counsel if needed. "Oregon is the sanctuary state ... what we're trying to do is just, protect and support our students inside our buildings and protect FERPA law and maintain ... the dignity of our students," the superintendent said.
The superintendent said she will serve as the district's designee for immigration calls and has trained building staff on how to respond. She added that if agents present a judicial warrant, the district would have to comply with the law. "If ICE agents had a judicial warrant, we would have to honor that," she said.
Board members asked whether the policy differs from other law‑enforcement procedures; staff replied it is handled the same way as other law enforcement and child‑welfare contacts in terms of notifying parents and avoiding disrupting students unnecessarily. Trustees and staff also discussed community concerns about attendance declines when families fear enforcement activity; one attendee said a third‑grade student worried about losing a friend because a classmate might have to move.
The board did not adopt new policy at the meeting. Trustees and staff said the district will continue to publish guidance for families and involve legal counsel if enforcement requests arise.
