Lewiston superintendent outlines timeline and steps after immigration‑enforcement rumors; district to 'hold students harmless' where possible

Lewiston School Superintendent Jake Langland on Feb. 2 presented a detailed timeline of the district's actions and communications in response to widespread rumors and community concern about immigration enforcement, saying the district had "no knowledge" immigration officers operated on school grounds, buses or at school events during the recent period of heightened concern.

Langland said rumors began around Jan. 9 that a surge of immigration enforcement activity might affect Lewiston; estimates being circulated varied dramatically, with some alleging as many as 1,500 officers. He said district staff prepared policies and messaging on Jan. 12 and issued three documents publicly on Jan. 15, including internal guidance and a letter with protocols to inform staff, parents and students about likely scenarios. Langland stressed the intent was to be factual and avoid inflaming fear or providing single-day sound bites that could mislead the public.

On attendance, Langland explained that midterms, extreme weather and a recent switch to a new analytics system complicated single-day comparisons. He said one day approached roughly 1,400 absences but that number reflected overlapping causes (a two‑hour delay and midterm schedules) and should not be treated as a single-source statistic. The superintendent said the district will use multi-year comparisons and more granular data before drawing conclusions.

To reduce academic harm, Langland said the district will "hold kids harmless" when absences are related to fear of immigration enforcement where possible, meaning principals will apply scenario-based discretion on make-up work or midterms and notes in truancy logs can record parental concern. He cautioned that the district will still follow state statutes governing truancy and cannot apply a blanket policy that ignores statutory procedures.

Langland described other operational steps: declining requests to use school space for outside rallies to prevent conflicts, coordinating with Lewiston police (LPD) on safe routes and events, monitoring social media and community reports, and working with community partners and donors to identify supports without using district municipal funds for direct payments to families. He said the student resource center has seen increased volume and that donors have offered help, but the district will not act as a fiscal agent to issue checks to individuals.

In response to committee questions, Langland said he had no direct communications with immigration-enforcement agencies and that, to his knowledge, no students had been taken into custody by immigration enforcement in the prior two weeks. He also acknowledged the emotional toll on students and families and said the district is exploring ways to add mental‑health and counseling supports, including coordinating with community organizations if needed.

Public comment from behavioral-health professional Martin Chartrand reinforced the superintendent's point about trauma: Chartrand urged validation and expanded counseling services to help students process fear and uncertainty, saying children's learning suffers if basic needs and safety are not met.