Recent news about federal messaging and potential actions affecting our immigrant and LGBTQIA+ students and staff and perhaps others have had no change on our District’s policy or practice.  In fact, our resolve to welcome, to protect, and to support these communities is stronger than ever.

We understand that recent concerns about potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities and potential changes to federal policy regarding LGBTQIA+ students and families are causing fear and uncertainty for some of our students, families, and staff. The likelihood that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would come to one of our campuses is extremely remote.  Nevertheless, we stand prepared.  We care about your well-being and want to reassure you that our schools are safe for all students and staff, regardless of immigration status, background, or personal circumstances. 

We are dedicated to protecting the well-being of all members of our community, including the following policies and practices:

• We do not collect or maintain information about students’ or families’ immigration status.
• We will not allow immigration-enforcement officers on our campuses without proper identification and authorization.
• We protect student confidentiality and personal information. We will not share personal information about students or families with immigration enforcement.
• We do not allow immigration officers to contact students unless they present a signed judicial warrant or demonstrate extremely rare, urgent circumstances.

Our practices are based on our core values and are reinforced by long-standing laws:

• Federal law states that all children in the United States, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, have the right to a free and appropriate public education.
• California law affirms that every student in the state has the right to attend public school free from discrimination, harassment, violence, intimidation, and bullying.

Providing an inclusive and nurturing environment in which students feel safe and know they belong is one of our key goals for student success. I encourage you to reach out to your school if you need support. Stop by the school office to pick up a card that summarizes your rights.

On this page, you will find a variety of compiled resources available through our district, county, and state partners. These resources include recorded webinars, Rapid Response Network support, and access to free legal resources. 

LGBTQIA+ Resources

https://www.sesd.org/Page/5836 

Rapid Response Network

Many counties in the Bay Area, including Santa Clara, have a 24-hour multilingual hotline in place to investigate possible ICE activities in the community and to support individuals through ICE encounters. These Rapid Response Networks will send out a team of legal advocates to a location to offer legal support. If you suspect or see ICE officials in the neighborhood or at your home, advise them to call the local Rapid Response hotline at (408) 290-1144.

Legal Services

• National Immigration Legal Services Directory

Red Cards

All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center's (ILRC’s) Red Cards help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home. Download and Print ILRC Red Cards.

Family Preparedness Plan 

Every family should have a Family Preparedness Plan in case of an emergency. This ILRC toolkit is divided into different sections that give guidance on family preparedness planning, regardless of immigration status, including childcare options available in case of an absent parent, where to find trusted immigration services in your community, and how to prepare to assert your constitutional rights in the presence of an immigration officer. It gives additional advice to undocumented and/or mixed-status families. 

Your Child has the Right to a Free Public Education 

• All children have a right to equal access to free public education, regardless of their or their parents’/guardians’ immigration status. 

• All children in California: 
  • Have the right to a free public education.
  • Must be enrolled in school if they are between 6 and 18 years old. 
  • Have the right to attend safe, secure, and peaceful schools. 
  • Have a right to be in a public school learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, violence, and intimidation. 
  • Have equal opportunity to participate in any program or activity offered by the school without discrimination. 

Information Required for School Enrollment

• Schools must accept a variety of documents from the student’s parent or guardian to demonstrate proof of child’s age or residency and schools are not required to keep a copy of the document used as proof of a child’s age. 

• Information about citizenship/immigration status is never needed for school enrollment. A Social Security number is never needed for school enrollment. 

Confidentiality of Personal Information 

• Federal and state laws protect student education records and personal information. These laws generally require that schools get written consent from parents or guardians before releasing student information, unless the release of information is for educational purposes, is already public, or is in response to a court order or subpoena. 

• Some schools collect and provide publicly basic student “directory information.” If so, the school district must provide parents/ guardians with written notice of the directory information policy, and provide the option to refuse release of your child’s information. 

Family Safety Plans if You Are Detained or Deported 

• Update your child’s emergency contact information, including secondary contacts, to identify a trusted adult guardian who can care for your child if you are detained or deported. 

• Complete a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit or a Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardian of the Person to give a trusted adult the authority to make educational and medical decisions for your child. 

Right to File a Complaint

• Your child has the right to report a hate crime or file a complaint to the school district if he or she is discriminated against, harassed, intimidated or bullied because of his or her actual or perceived nationality, ethnicity, or immigration status.

Rights at a Glance

• Right to a Free Public Education: All children have a right to equal access to free public education, regardless of their or their parents’/guardians’ immigration status.
• Information Required for School Enrollment: Schools must accept a variety of documents from the student’s parent or guardian to demonstrate proof of child’s age or residency and schools are not required to keep a copy of the document used as proof of a child’s age.
• Confidentiality of Personal Information: Federal and state laws protect student education records and personal information. These laws generally require that schools obtain written consent from parents or guardians before releasing student information, unless the release of information is for educational purposes, is already public, or is in response to a court order or subpoena.

Complete Guides 

• Complete Guide for Students and Families (Español)
• Quick Reference for School Officials (Español)

Additional Resources

• Promoting a Safe and Learning Environment for All: Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California's K-12 Schools in Responding to Immigration Issues (Español)
• State Attorney General Rob Bonta in calschoolnews.org
• Model Policies for K-12 Public Schools
• Resources for California’s Immigrant Communities
• Guidance on Educational Rights of Immigrant Students and Their Families