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Superintendent reassures families on wildfire monitoring, immigrant-student protections; recognizes teacher'9s presidential award
Summary
Superintendent Andy Johnson told the board Jan. 16 that district emergency teams are monitoring wildfire and planned-power-outage risk and reiterated that the district will follow FERPA and its nondiscrimination policies to protect immigrant students' information.
Superintendent Andy Johnson opened the Jan. 16 meeting with safety and civics-related remarks, telling the governing board that district staff are monitoring wind and power-outage risks and are prepared to implement school emergency plans if conditions warrant.
Johnson said the district receives notices from SDG&E about potential planned power outages in areas such as San Antonio Hills, and that site emergency teams and district staff rehearse evacuation and continuity plans. He directed the emergency team to review plans again and reminded the public that alertsandiego.org (the County of San Diego OES site) contains personal-disaster planning guidance.
Johnson also addressed concerns about possible changes in federal immigration enforcement and told the board the district "will continue to abide by applicable law." He read guidance on protections for students and families, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and described board policies BP 0410 (nondiscrimination) and BP 5145.13 (rights of immigrant students). Johnson said the district does not collect immigration-status information as part of enrollment and that student records generally require a court order before release. He noted recent federal guidance designating schools as protected areas and mentioned proposed California legislation (identified in staff remarks as AB 49 and SB 48) that would bolster protections.
Johnson closed by announcing that Samantha Stickley, a science teacher at San Marcos Middle School, received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and that the district will bring her to a future meeting so the board can congratulate her.
Ending Johnson asked the public to prepare when wildfire season risks arise and promised continued district communications and planning; he also asked staff to provide translated policy materials for Spanish-speaking families, following a board request.
