House Education hears S.227 to bar information-sharing, require warrants before admitting law enforcement into non-public school areas

The House Education Committee on April 7 heard an introduction to S.227, a bill that would create statewide immigration-protocol policies for Vermont schools and restrict school practices around law-enforcement access and student-data sharing.

Senator Tanya, the bill’s lead sponsor, told the committee she brought the measure after reports of students skipping school out of fear and local districts adopting protective policies. “I felt like we are not in typical times,” she said, arguing that administrative warrants—"typically used for inspections"—are being used to detain people and that the state should provide uniform protections so students can safely attend school.

Legislative counsel Rick Seagel walked the panel through the bill’s text. Under the draft, a superintendent (or a designated staff member) would be the sole authority to admit a law-enforcement officer who appears on an immigration-related matter into any non-public area of a school. Seagel summarized the bar on admission: a school should not allow entry into non-public areas unless the officer produces official identification and a judicial warrant specifically naming the individual subject to arrest or search. The bill also says schools must not collect…