Kennett SD outlines school protocols after DHS rescinds guidance on enforcement near schools

Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders told the Kennett Consolidated School District board on Feb. 10 that the district will continue longstanding protocols for handling any law-enforcement actions on or near school property after the Department of Homeland Security rescinded a 2021 letter that had limited enforcement actions at sensitive locations.

Rizzo Saunders said the change — she noted the DHS letter of understanding from October 2021 was rescinded on Jan. 21, 2025 — does not alter the district’s legal obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or the district’s on-site safety procedures. “No one simply walks up to one of our buildings and walks in,” she said, describing layered access checks and the district’s decision not to publish tactical protocols for safety reasons.

Why it matters: The rescission prompted concern among some families. The superintendent and board president said the district will keep communicating with families, track attendance and other indicators, and provide information in Spanish as needed. Rizzo Saunders described the narrow circumstances in which federal enforcement agents could take action on campus — for example, when they possess a judicial warrant — and underscored that district staff are prohibited by FERPA from sharing education records without proper legal process.

In her presentation, Rizzo Saunders summarized the district’s approach: staff have been briefed on who may enter school buildings and under what documentation, how to validate outsiders’ need to enter, how to minimize student exposure if removal occurs, and how the district would notify families if an enforcement action takes place. Board president Bryce Cronenberg told the meeting the board had requested the presentation because of community concern and said the district has been preparing protocols since December.

Board members asked about communications and mental-health supports. Rizzo Saunders said the district had already sent a Feb. 4 communication and would add Spanish-language materials and a Spanish-language video where appropriate. She said the district was monitoring attendance and had not seen a rise in absences; in fact, she said absences had decreased since December.

The superintendent and board noted they are prepared to follow state and federal law and would update the community if procedures or legal guidance change. They emphasized the district’s aim to maintain normal school operations to provide stability for students.