Senate panel hears support and legal caveats for bill requiring school policies to shield students from immigration enforcement

The Vermont Senate Education Committee spent its Feb. 12 afternoon hearing on S.227, a proposal that would require school districts to adopt protocols to protect students and staff from federal immigration‑enforcement actions. Witnesses described local experience, research on attendance and achievement impacts, and legal constraints that could shape how the bill is written.

Wilmer Chavarria, superintendent of the Winooski School District, told the committee his board adopted district‑level protocols after community testimony and national attention. "Waiting for someone else to address the difficult challenge will only render education tacitly complicit," Chavarria said, and added that his district had received "death threats" and "thousands of ... voicemail[s] and emails" after adopting its policy. He urged the state to adopt standards so smaller districts would not stand alone.

Rebec…