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Board adopts policy supporting undocumented students after high schooler’s plea
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Summary
After a Cheshire High School student asked the board to act in a case involving a detained classmate, the Board of Education approved Policy 5.111.3 on undocumented students in a roll-call vote; one member, Tim White, voted no, citing legal and funding risks.
A student speaker’s public plea about a detained classmate set the tone Wednesday as the Cheshire Board of Education moved to formally adopt a policy on undocumented students.
Hayden Wang, a Cheshire High School student, told the board he was asking for an official statement about the “deportation of Rehan” and asked why the district had not done more to defend the student’s due-process rights. “I would like to ask why an official statement has not been made yet…and why you have not done more about the situation when his rights and due process have been violated?” Wang said during the public-comment period.
Board members said the district has already issued public statements and pledged further communication. The superintendent said he would circulate the statements to the student and noted a bond hearing had been scheduled, offering the hope of a prompt release.
The board then moved to a third and final reading of Policy 5.111.3, titled “undocumented students,” and voted to put the policy into immediate effect. Board member Mark Ecki made the motion; Miss Cullinan seconded.
The debate before the vote highlighted competing concerns. Board member Tim White said he would not support the motion, warning the policy could expose the district to political or federal scrutiny. “Based on what I’ve seen… I consider it to be a complete travesty, and it needs to be remedied immediately. It should be today,” White said earlier in the meeting when addressing the detention case, and later reiterated his concern about potential federal retribution related to immigration enforcement.
Other members pushed back that the board’s role includes publicly supporting students and families and ensuring the district follows state and federal law. “We do already follow the law… but this is a small step that we can take in addition to other steps to communicate to our families that they are valued members of this community,” the chair said during debate.
On the roll call, a majority voted to adopt the policy; the transcript records Tim White voting No while other named members voted Yes. The motion carried and the board directed the superintendent to implement the policy immediately.
The board did not expand in detail on implementation steps during the meeting; members said the action was intended to reassure families and align district practice with existing legal obligations. The student who spoke thanked the board for hearing the concern before leaving the meeting.
