Parent asks about protections for undocumented students; superintendent cites state guidance and says district is monitoring special-education funding
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
During public comment at the Oct. 15 meeting, a parent asked what policies the district has to protect undocumented students and how the district would handle Immigration and Customs Enforcement on school grounds; Superintendent Doctor Harrington said state-education guidance directs the district and that building principals are trained on procedures.
A parent asked the board on Oct. 15 what specific policies the district has to protect undocumented students and how the district would respond if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law-enforcement partners came onto school grounds.
Jennifer Hennessy, a parent with children at School 5, said she was concerned about protections for immigrant families and asked what the district's policies are regarding ICE and related collaborations. "What specific policies does the district have in place to protect, undocumented students and their families? And also what are the policies regarding, immigrations and customs enforcement on school grounds," she asked.
Superintendent Doctor Harrington replied that "the state education department has published very clear directives and guidelines, that all school districts are obligated to follow. And they are all done in the best interests of our young people in regards to your concerns." She added that, based on those directives, officials would not allow ICE to remain on school grounds and that building principals and front-gate staff have a process to follow. "They are not allowed on school grounds. And and and we would have to ask them to leave," she said.
When Hennessy followed up asking about a reported collaboration agreement between the Nassau County Police Department and ICE, Harrington said the district would defer to state guidance if there were a conflict: "We will still follow the state guidelines. I I I'm not I'm not familiar with what collaboration you're referring to, but we would, our state mandate would take precedence."
On a related but separate question about recent cuts to federal special-education funding, Hennessy asked what contingency plans the district had to make up for any shortfall. Board members and the superintendent responded that protecting services for special-education students was a priority. Doctor Harrington said the district is monitoring funding and would do everything possible to avoid reductions to services: "It's fair to say that the funding is a concern to us. So far, though, our state has made a commitment to, to be able to continue to support the schools as they have in the past. But I don't think it would be honest to say to you that we don't have a concern about that. So we're monitoring that as closely as we can."
What happened: A parent raised questions during public comment about protections for undocumented students and about special-education funding; the superintendent said the district follows State Education Department directives and is monitoring federal and state funding for special-education services. Why it matters: Families and staff expect clarity about how the district protects students and handles law-enforcement interactions; special-education funding affects service delivery for vulnerable students.
The board did not adopt any new policies at the meeting; officials said they would follow state-directed procedures and that any specific operational steps (for example, referring paperwork to district attorneys or following building-level protocols) would be implemented as required.