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Superintendent reiterates district protections for undocumented students, cites Plyler v. Doe and FERPA
Summary
Superintendent Ryan reminded the Corvallis School Board that a 2016 district resolution and U.S. Supreme Court precedent (Plyler v. Doe) guarantee access to public education regardless of immigration status, and said the district does not collect or share immigration-status information because of FERPA protections.
Superintendent Ryan opened his report by reiterating that all students have a constitutional right to equal access to public education regardless of immigration status, citing the U.S. Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe and reminding the board of a district resolution passed Dec. 5, 2016.
"All students have the constitutional right to equal access to public education regardless of the immigration status of them or their families," Ryan told the board and said the district does not collect immigration status from students or families and would not share that information, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Ryan said he has shared this message in recent superintendent chats with staff and that the district will continue outreach, including "Know Your Rights" events, to reassure families and provide current information. He also updated the board on an engineering study expected soon for the Osborne building and described ongoing work related to scorecard dinners and the district’s infosec committee.
Board members asked about how the message is being communicated to families who speak languages other than English; Ryan said the district will expand efforts, provide materials in hand for board members at upcoming events and continue coordination with family advocates and community partners.
No policy changes were proposed at the meeting; Ryan said he would continue to report back to the board as outreach and support plans develop.
