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Parents, teachers urge APS to remove mandatory 'country of birth' question from registration
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the March 5 APS Board meeting urged the district to remove or make optional a required registration question asking whether a student was born in the United States, saying it contradicts district policy and risks discouraging enrollment.
Multiple parents, teachers and health professionals used the public‑forum segment of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education meeting on March 5 to call on the district to remove or make optional a mandatory ParentVUE registration question that asks whether a student was born in the United States.
Teresa Lopez, who identified herself as a mother and a teacher serving immigrant communities in the South Valley, told the board the required question “made me feel deeply disappointed” and said families should be able to enroll students without fear. Lopez said the district policy posted online states “APS does not collect nor keep records of any student's immigration status,” and she asked the board to clarify why the question was added and to remove or make it optional.
Dr. Maria Hamilton, a community pediatrician, said the change is likely to reduce enrollment among disadvantaged populations and “has no place in the APS registration process” unless it is an anonymized, optional demographic survey. Charlotte Joseph said the mandatory question is “discriminatory” and a direct violation of federal law protecting children's right to a public education, and she asked the district to explain how the question was added without community transparency.
Physician Eva Angeli and other speakers echoed the concerns, urging APS to either remove the question or make it optional and, if demographic data are needed for research or funding, collect it through a separate anonymous survey rather than through compulsory registration.
Board members said they heard the public comments and pledged to work with administration on follow-up. Board President Danielle Gonzales noted the Board must balance community questions with legal and procedural boundaries; administration representatives did not offer a final policy decision during the meeting.
Why this matters: public health and education advocates told the board the required question could discourage attendance by immigrant families and increase fears during a volatile federal policy environment. Speakers asked for immediate clarity and a transparent account of why and how the question entered the registration workflow.
Quotes from the meeting - “Families should feel safe enrolling their children in schools without fear or hesitation,” — Teresa Lopez, mother and teacher serving immigrant communities. - “This question has no place in the APS registration process and must be removed or made optional,” — Dr. Maria Hamilton, community pediatrician.
What the board did: The item was raised during public forum; the board acknowledged the comments and said it will work with district administration to follow up. No formal action was taken during the meeting to remove or change the registration question.
