The Perry Community School District issued guidelines Monday in order to inform the school community about “recent changes to immigration laws and possible mass deportations under the newly elected Trump Administration,” the guidelines said.
Entitled “Immigration Enforcement Guidance and Resources from Perry Community Schools,” the document is intended “to help explain the most recent guidance on the potential deportation challenge for Perry Community Schools,” said PCSD Superintendent Clark Wicks in issuing the guidelines.
“I think it is highly unlikely to have an ICE enforcement operation of any kind at the Perry schools,” Wicks said, “but I wanted to at least inform all of you of this challenge, the measures Perry schools will take to do our best to serve and help in case of an ICE enforcement operation.”
In the document, Wicks stated that the Perry schools takes “seriously our responsibility to protect the privacy and confidentiality of student information,” and “Perry Community School personnel will not be used to enforce those laws.” He said PCSD “policies require parental notification and approval from Administration before any student interviews by law enforcement,” and “a lawful warrant is required prior to the arrest of any student.”
Wicks noted that the U.S. Supreme Court “clearly states that no student can be denied access to public education based on their immigration status,” and for this reason the “Perry Community School does not collect, store or have any information about a student’s immigration status.”
Wicks ends the document’s narrative portion with an assurance: “Our commitment to serving all students and families remains unwavering. I want you to know that your children are loved, supported and valued by our entire school community. We will continue to work together to create an environment where every student can thrive and every student counts.”
The document then lists resources in Iowa for immigration legal services and supports.
