Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and board members discussed immigration‑related attendance fears and possible district responses during the Feb. 11 meeting as enforcement actions around the country raised concern among immigrant families.

District posture and legal limits
Vitti reiterated that the district will require a judicial warrant before allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents onto school property and that student records remain protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). He said the district maintains a sanctuary‑policy posture for students and families and has deployed legal counsel and crisis protocols in the event of on‑site enforcement actions.

Impact on attendance and proposed responses
Staff reported that families have expressed fear of leaving home following enforcement actions and that schools have documented increased absenteeism tied to those fears; schools have been contacting families and, in some cases, providing door‑to‑door transportation to get students to class. Newcomer and multilingual programs asked the board to consider creative transportation partnerships with nonprofits, churches or community groups while acknowledging the risk that targeted transport could identify undocumented families for enforcement.

Virtual school access
Vitti said the district’s virtual program is available to students who need it for safety or other reasons and that principals should refer families to the virtual school when appropriate. The superintendent also invited board members and the public to visit the newcomer program and meet teachers working with multilingual learners.

Federal risks and planning
Vitti outlined broad federal risks raised by recent executive‑order discussion: possible changes to the U.S. Department of Education, tying federal funding to policy priorities, and other actions that could affect Title I and other federal programs. He said most executive directives require congressional action or face legal challenges and that districts should monitor court outcomes while preparing contingency plans; he offered to present a formal risk briefing for the board at a future meeting.

Ending
Trustees asked for a list of partners and options for transportation and asked staff to continue outreach so families know virtual and other safe options are available.