Public commenters urge Wicomico schools to bolster mental‑health supports for students affected by immigration detentions

Public commenters at the Wicomico County Board of Education meeting pressed district leaders for clearer, ongoing supports for students and families affected by immigration detentions and enforcement actions.

Maria Summer, a Wicomico County resident and retired educator, told the board that safety must include emotional as well as physical protections: “Every student, regardless of background, zip code, family, structure, language, ability, or identity deserves to be known, seen, and heard as an individual,” she said, and argued that teachers are essential to providing that stability.

Lauren Hatch Pokrell, a parent and former higher‑education educator, described children whose parents have been detained as experiencing “terror and trauma that will last lifetimes,” and called for “explicit and ongoing conversations across the schools in the counties to be liaisons” to connect families with support.

Monica Bridal, president of the Wicomico County NAACP, said the disruption since COVID and recent immigration enforcement has increased mental‑health needs and that students are “literally on the verge of tears all the time.” She urged the district and county to expand outreach programs and access to services rather than expect families to travel out of county for assistance.

Natalie St. Fahard, who said she previously worked within the system, requested concrete operational steps: “Pamphlets and general statements are not enough. Families need an action plan and real tangible resources,” including school‑based counselors, social workers, multilingual family coordinators and options for home visits or virtual meetings so parents facing transportation or legal barriers can remain engaged.

Superintendent Dr. Stauffer acknowledged the comments during the superintendent’s report and the board heard related remarks from members during their later reports noting progress in staffing: one board member observed the district has expanded to one school social worker in every school compared with only a few a decade ago.

Next steps: board members and staff said they would continue to engage on the topic; no formal directive or budget allocation specific to these public comments was made during the meeting.