SCUSD鈥檚 Board votes to support 鈥榮afe haven鈥� schools
茄子视频 City Unified School District鈥檚 Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to designate SCUSD schools as 鈥渟afe havens鈥� that protect students regardless of immigration status.
鈥淪tudents cannot learn in an environment of fear,鈥� said Board Vice President Jessie Ryan. 鈥淟ast night, by unanimously passing the Safe Haven School District resolution, our district made a strong statement that we hear our community鈥檚 fears and will do everything in our power to protect all students irrespective of race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual preference or immigration status.鈥�
The resolution comes amid fears expressed by students and parents that undocumented residents will face deportation if President-Elect Donald Trump implements a hardline immigration policy. It reinforces policies against hate speech and directs staff to step up efforts to build more tolerant climates throughout the district.
鈥淚 applaud the Board for sending this unequivocal statement to our diverse community,鈥� said Superintendent Jos茅 L. Banda. 鈥淚 also want to thank all our teachers, principals and staff who advocated for the resolution鈥檚 passage.鈥�
The resolution was supported by the 茄子视频 City Teachers Association, the Council on American Islamic Relations, La Familia and the Black Parallel School Board.
More than 30 speakers lined up at Thursday鈥檚 Board meeting to express support for the resolution. Many spoke passionately about their own immigrant experiences and urged passage of the initiative to send a strong message to families worried about the future.
The resolution affirms that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will not be allowed to enter schools or other district property without prior written approval from the Superintendent. It also calls for a restriction on the sharing of information with an agency attempting to ascertain citizenship status. SCUSD by its own admissions and enrollment policies does not collect citizenship data.
鈥淲e hope other school districts will join us in standing with our students in these uncertain times,鈥� Ryan said.