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Public commenters urge Dysart Unified board to denounce proposed ICE facility, cite threats to students
Summary
Speakers at the April 27 Dysart Unified School District board meeting urged the board to take a public stance against a proposed ICE detention facility near district schools and to adopt safety protocols after students received threats tied to their activism.
At the Dysart Unified School District governing board meeting on April 27, two public commenters asked the board to make a clear public statement opposing a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility near district schools and to take steps to protect students.
"Hello, my name is Jason Chavez," said Jason Chavez during public comment, urging the board to "make your stances clear" regarding a proposed detention center in Surprise and to take threats against student activists seriously. Chavez said students who participated in a press release and a lawsuit had received "disgusting comments" and threats online and asked the district to train staff on students' rights and crisis procedures for encounters with ICE.
Dr. Sophia Marjanovic told the board she was "a concerned member of the community" and asked the board to "make a public statement that holds the safety of the children within this school district." She said the proposed facility is "less than a half a mile" from Desert High School and stated her belief that prisons should not be located near schools. "Walk your talk," she told the board, referencing the district mission to "create a safe, diversified and engaging learning environment."
Board members did not take immediate formal action at the meeting beyond receiving public comment; under Arizona law cited at the meeting (ARS 38-431.01(H)), responses at public comment are limited to directing staff to study the matter, responding to criticism, or placing the matter on a future agenda. A district staff member explained those limits to the audience before public comment began.
The comments focused on student safety, community concerns about proximity of detention facilities, and requests for school-based protocols and support for affected students. No board resolution or vote on the detention facility was recorded in the April 27 meeting minutes; commenters said they wanted an explicit stance from the governing board and assurances about staff training and emergency procedures.
