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Richmond board adopts policy clarifying school access and limits on immigration‑enforcement activities, directs rapid‑response planning
Summary
The school board adopted policy 4‑3.3, formalizing how Richmond Public Schools will respond to immigration law enforcement at school sites and directing the superintendent to form a rapid‑response team and review records and information‑sharing practices.
The Richmond school board on Feb. 4 adopted Policy 4‑3.3, titled “Relations with Law Enforcement Authorities,” and an accompanying resolution that directs the superintendent to implement protective measures and communication protocols related to immigration enforcement.
The resolution, read in full during the business meeting, states that Richmond Public Schools “welcomes all” and declares district facilities as a safe place for students. Among the provisions in the resolution are directives that:
• The superintendent’s office will review requests by federal or state law enforcement to visit a school site and require that such requests be presented to the superintendent for legal review before access is granted (with judicial warrants and other legal constraints honored).
• The superintendent will form a rapid‑response team within 30 days to prepare for incidents in which a minor attending RPS is deprived of adult care or guardianship as a result of enforcement actions.
• The division will review records‑keeping practices to ensure the district is not collecting or maintaining data on students’ immigration status and that any records requests are referred to the superintendent for review for compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and applicable state law (the transcript cited Section 22.1‑287 of the Code of Virginia concerning student privacy and disclosures).
• The resolution will be posted at each school site and made available in languages spoken by RPS families; after passage the board directed staff to distribute and translate the resolution for parents, staff and vendors within 30 days.
Administration staff described trainings held for principals, support staff and lead teachers since late January and said the district has coordinated with the mayor’s office, immigrant and refugee engagement staff, and local advocacy groups. Staff noted they had seen no sustained attendance declines tied to enforcement actions, apart from one national demonstration day the prior week.
Board members voted to adopt the policy and resolution; the motion carried without amendment. The administration said it will report back to the board on compliance with the resolution at the board’s next meeting.
Speakers from the public and staff praised the board for taking the step. The board also requested that the resolution and supporting materials be posted to the board docs platform and translated into division languages.
