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Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools

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Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students: A Guide for Families

Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools is dedicated to ensuring that every school is a safe haven where all children are welcomed, protected, and provided a free public education. In accordance with New York State and federal laws, our policies strictly adhere to the following five fundamental areas of protection:

I. Enrollment and Registration Requirements

  • Universal Access to Education: All children ages 5 to 21 residing within our District have a constitutional right to a free public education, completely regardless of nationality, citizenship, or immigration status.
  • Inclusive Residency Verification: The District accepts a wide variety of residency proofs (such as utility bills, affidavit forms, mortgage statements, or rental agreements). We will never refuse enrollment based on the lack of a single specific document.
  • Immediate Placement for Displaced Students: Asylum-seeking, migrant, or unhoused students covered under the McKinney-Vento Act must be registered and placed in class immediately, even if they temporarily lack housing paperwork or immunization records.

II. Collecting Student Information & Records Privacy

  • Prohibited Data Requests: District staff are strictly prohibited from requesting Social Security numbers, green cards, visas, or any information intended to reveal a family's legal immigration status during the registration process.
  • Rigid Privacy Protections: Under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), student records are entirely confidential.
  • Zero Unauthorized Sharing: The District will not track, log, or share immigration details with outside agencies or School Resource Officers (SROs) without explicit parental consent or a signed judicial court order.

III. Law Enforcement Boundaries on School Property

  • No Administrative Warrants: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal agents are not permitted to enter school buildings or school buses using standard administrative paperwork. Access is denied unless agents produce a valid judicial warrant signed by a court judge.
  • Interrogation Restrictions: Non-local law enforcement and federal agents may not question, detain, or remove a student from school grounds without a judicial order, an active crime investigation occurring on-site, or the explicit consent of a parent or guardian.
  • Centralized Gatekeeping: All requests by outside law enforcement to access school property are immediately routed to District counsel and senior administration for strict legal review before anyone is allowed past the security desk.

IV. Protection Against Bullying and Harassment

  • DASA Protections: Under the New York Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), all students are legally protected against discrimination, bullying, and harassment by peers or employees.
  • Identity Protection: These strict state protections extend to any bias, teasing, or cyberbullying targeting a student’s actual or perceived race, national origin, color, language proficiency, or citizenship status.
  • Safe Reporting Zones: The District maintains anonymous and accessible systems for reporting bias incidents to ensure a hostile-free environment for learning.

V. Support in the Event of Family Detention or Deportation

  • Emergency Preparedness: The District maintains proactive care protocols to support children if a parent or legal guardian is suddenly detained or deported by immigration authorities.
  • Designated Caregivers: We encourage families to keep their emergency contact cards updated with the names of authorized, trusted local adults who have permission to pick up students if an emergency occurs.
  • Uninterrupted Academic Continuity: Our school counseling and support teams are trained to provide immediate emotional and logistical assistance to ensure affected students face no interruptions to their daily education and safety.