Santa Rita Union board adopts 'safe zone' resolution, approves lease with county office and after‑school plan updates

The Santa Rita Union School District Board of Education on Jan. 8 unanimously approved a resolution declaring the district a safe zone for students regardless of immigration status and took several administrative actions including a ground lease with the Monterey County Office of Education and updates to the district’s expanded learning opportunities program.

The board adopted Resolution No. 25.01.01 confirming the district’s commitment “to provide safe and free access to public education regardless of immigration status,” instructing staff to follow District Policy 5145.13 when responding to immigration‑enforcement requests, to review record‑keeping for any collection of immigration‑status information, and to translate and post the resolution at every school site. The board also voted to refer any requests for student records from immigration‑enforcement agencies to the superintendent’s office for review under FERPA and related legal standards.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 25.01.01 (district safe zone / immigration protections): Approved, vote 4–0. Board members voting yes: Miss Alvariano, Sunil Neil Patel, Miss Sarah Turner, Mister Jacob Sandoval. Motion and second recorded in the minutes.

- Ground lease, access license and construction agreement with Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) for approximately 1 acre adjacent to Rogie Road to house county programs: Approved, vote 4–0.

- Allied contract (speech‑language services; bilingual SLPA and SLP oversight): Approved, vote 4–0.

- December 2024 update to the 2024–25 Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) plan, including two new district vans for transportation and added behavioral aide support: Approved, vote 4–0.

- Consent agenda (items 5.2–5.6): Approved, vote 4–0.

Closed session outcome

In closed session the board considered a student discipline matter (listed as 2024.01) and voted 4–0 to approve the student’s readmission. The closed session items had been noticed under Government Code sections cited on the agenda.

What the approvals require

The resolution directs the district to rely on District Policy 5145.13 when responding to immigration‑enforcement requests, to post and translate the resolution for families, to notify contractors and vendors within 30 days that they must abide by the district policy, and to refer any records requests from immigration enforcement to the superintendent’s office for an expeditious legal review, including consideration of judicial warrants and FERPA limits on disclosure.

Board membership and attendance

At roll call the board recorded Miss Alvariano, Sunil Neil Patel, Miss Sarah Turner and Mister Jacob Sandoval present; Miss Cindy Lopez was absent. All actions noted above were recorded as unanimous among the four members present.

Background and context

The resolution frames the policy as a reaffirmation that “it is the right of every child, regardless of immigration status, to access a free public K‑12 education,” and states that presence of immigration‑enforcement agents on or near school property can disrupt students’ access to education. The resolution incorporates District Policy 5145.13 and cites Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements for handling records requests.

Next steps

The board set its next regular meeting for Jan. 22, 2025. The resolution directs staff to post and translate the document and to notify contractors; the board did not specify an enforcement mechanism beyond referral to the superintendent’s office for legal review of requests from immigration‑enforcement agencies.