William Penn SD board adopts immigration resolution; committee hears first readings on student and staff policies

At a Thursday policy committee meeting, the William Penn School District board of directors voted 6-0 to adopt an immigration resolution intended to reassure students and families that district buildings are safe zones and that the district will protect student privacy when approached by immigration enforcement.

The resolution, presented by Dr. Bicos, aligns with a model resolution from the National Education Association and was developed after discussions with the district’s WPEA president, Andrea Fink, and the district solicitor, David Khan. “It really supports the fact that we as a district have the responsibility for educating all students who reside within our boundaries,” Dr. Bicos said. The resolution states the district considers its schools “to be safe zones for its students, meaning that it is a place for students to learn, thrive, and to seek assistance, information, and support.”

The resolution directs school staff to refer any request for records or on‑site access by immigration law enforcement to the superintendent’s office so district officials can review requests for consistency with FERPA and other legal limits. The resolution also says staff will review record‑keeping practices to ensure disclosures comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and applicable constitutional privacy protections.

Board members discussed possible edits before the vote. Board director Miss Hoff asked whether the resolution’s language should explicitly include staff and whether language around judicial warrants should specify “named and dated” warrants; she also suggested expanding the district’s list of covered services to include nutrition and health services. Dr. Bicos said staff would incorporate suggested edits and that, if the board members present agreed, the resolution could be approved with those modifications. A board member moved to accept the resolution “with the recommendations made by Miss Hall this evening,” a second was heard, and the motion passed with all six members voting in favor. The board indicated the resolution would be updated with the edits and signed the following day.

Related policy work: the committee reviewed a new draft policy (200.1) and three revised policies (222, 227 and 323) on a first reading. Dr. Bicos summarized policy 200.1 as stating that “school personnel must not allow any third party access to a school site without permission of the site administrator,” that site administrators should not permit third‑party access that would disrupt learning, and that requests from immigration law enforcement should be referred immediately to the superintendent’s office. The superintendent or a designee is to develop administrative regulations to implement the policy; the district solicitor recommended the full board endorse those regulations so administration would have explicit board support if legal challenges arose.

Policy 222 (students — tobacco and vaping) and policy 323 (employees — tobacco and vaping) reflect recommended updates from the district’s policy service (noted as PSBA/PNN in committee materials), including removing brand‑specific examples and clarifying definitions; the employee policy also retains a prohibition on tobacco and vaping on district property except in designated areas at least 50 feet from buildings. Policy 227 (controlled substance and paraphernalia) was updated to clarify prohibited uses and the district’s authority related to look‑alike drugs and being under the influence.

Board members asked for additional implementation guidance on when law enforcement is contacted for vaping or suspected substance incidents. Miss Hoff said she wanted clarity “when the police are called” and asked for thresholds and restorative options so students are not repeatedly subjected to law‑enforcement interactions; Dr. Bicos and other staff said the committee would follow up with more guidance and noted restorative and community‑service options used in other districts. The committee introduced Dr. Nikia Williams as the new executive director of student services and said she will participate in future policy development.

The committee did not take votes on the four policies beyond the first readings; the resolution adoption was the only formal action taken at the meeting. The board scheduled further policy updates for upcoming meetings and noted a policy meeting on March 6 to continue review and implementation work.