OLYMPIA—Washington State education Superintendent Chris Reykdal releases guidance for school districts on protections for undocumented students. He asks that school districts develop policies for responding to immigration enforcement actions.
According to the press release, Reykdal states that school districts have a “constitutional and moral obligation to provide a free, high-quality public education to all students” and that “state and federal law prohibit public school districts from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin; and state law further prohibits discrimination on the basis of citizenship or immigration status.”
Washington state’s sanctuary state law, called the Keep Washington Working Act, largely prevents local police and school resource officers from assisting federal authorities with civil immigration enforcement.
The guidance to school districts on state and federal protections for immigrant students in Washington’s K–12 public schools released by OSPI is as follows:
- Enrollment: Do not deny admission or continuing enrollment to a student on the basis of immigration or citizenship status nor treat a student differently to determine their immigration status. Enroll all students, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, in a timely manner.
- Data & Record Collection: Do not require or create an impression that birth certificates or social security numbers are required for enrollment or continuing enrollment. Provide alternative ways for families to verify that a student meets age requirements.
- Services: Do not engage in any practices that “chill” or inadvertently “chill” a student’s right of access to school and educational services. Provide services to all enrolled students, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Adopt policies and practices to ensure that undocumented students have access to all aspects of the regular school program.
- Student Privacy: Do not require students or parent(s)/guardian(s) to answer questions or provide documentation which discloses their citizenship status. Be aware that schools have no legal authority to enforce U.S. immigration laws. Have a policy in place for responding to immigration enforcement actions impacting your school campus(es).
“As we monitor the actions of the new federal administration, I want to be clear: Washington state is and will remain a state that is unequivocally committed to supporting all of our students and their families,” wrote State Superintendent Reykdal.
According to http://migrationpolicy.org, there are approximately 15,000 undocumented students enrolled in Washington state schools between the ages of 3 and 17. This data was based on 2019 Census estimates. For the 2022-23 school year, the average expenditure per pupil in Washington’s public schools is $18,287 according to OSPI. If the 2019 estimate of undocumented students in the public school system holds for the 2022-23 school year, this would equate to an estimated cost to taxpayers within the state of Washington of $274 million.
Author: Mario Lotmore
