Bassett board adopts immigration-response policies and removes social‑media student‑records provision for later review
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Summary
The board adopted a package of policy and administrative regulation updates related to immigration enforcement and student records but voted to strike a new provision that would have authorized district use of social‑media content in student records, agreeing to revisit that narrower issue later.
At its Feb. 17 meeting, the Bassett Unified board approved several board policy and administrative regulation updates intended to align district guidance with recent state immigration legislation, including adoption of Board Policy 1445 (response to immigration enforcement) and corresponding administrative regulations.
On student records (BP/AR 5125), trustees debated a provision in the proposed revisions that would have explicitly included "student records from social media" and would authorize a superintendent designee to gather social-media information for student-safety purposes (a citation to Ed. Code/"Ed code 4,973.6" appears in the transcript). Board member concerns centered on the scope of the provision and whether it amounted to local authorization of a surveillance program. One trustee described the clause as "a lot of power packed into it" and said the district should develop a more robust, locally tailored approach rather than adopt a short paragraph in a policy packet.
The board voted to strike the entire social-media provision from BP/AR 5125 and adopt the rest of the policy package as amended. Trustees agreed by consensus to direct staff to develop a fuller timeline and more detailed administrative guidance for the social-media issue so it can be returned to the board for more thorough public review and possible action at a later meeting.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Julie Harrison explained the practical intent of the provision: districts increasingly gather information from social media in student-safety investigations and the policy was intended to clarify notification procedures for parents and ensure limited use for safety only. Harrison also said the district will bring an expanded timeline and options (including potential summertime work or a special information session) to the board.
The board’s action removes the social-media language from the adopted policy while keeping other immigration-response and student-records updates in place.