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Park City School District: All children are welcome regardless of immigration status

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it will permit federal immigration officers to detain migrants who don't have legal status in areas previously considered sensitive — like schools.

On Jan. 20, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded the Biden Administration’s guidelines prohibiting arrests by U.S. immigration agents at or near “sensitive” areas.

Those included schools, places of worship, health care facilities, shelters, relief centers and public demonstrations like rallies and protests.

The Park City School District Wednesday addressed the community’s concerns about the changes. In a statement, Interim Superintendent Caleb Fine assured residents that every child, regardless of immigration status, is welcome in Park City schools.

He said the district does not collect data on the immigration status of students or their family members and therefore cannot provide it to law enforcement.

Fine said the district will not initiate contact with federal immigration authorities to share student information.

Fine said counselors are available at all Park City schools to assist students who are feeling stressed or fearful with the recent changes.

The Park City Community Foundation applauded the district’s response. In a statement, President and CEO Joel Zarrow said the foundation shares the district’s concerns about students’ mental and physical safety.

“What is best for children is keeping families together,” Zarrow said. “As a Community Foundation, we fully support PCSD’s 'We All Belong' initiative focused on providing a welcoming and educational environment for every child.”

Full Park City School District statement:

Yesterday, we received notice of new directives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding federal immigration enforcement policies. This new guideline permits federal immigration officers to carry out enforcement actions in areas previously considered sensitive, including schools. We recognize the potential concerns this change may bring to our community, and we want to assure you that we are aware of these developments.

Please be assured that every child, regardless of their immigration status, is welcome in our schools. All children, including undocumented ones, have the same rights to attend public primary and secondary schools as U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

It's important for parents and caregivers to keep their contact details and their child’s emergency contact information updated. This can be arranged by speaking with the secretary or Outreach coordinator at your student’s school. Each student should have two emergency contacts, who do not need to be family members, but should be trusted adults designated by the parent or guardian.

Our district does not collect any data regarding the immigration status of students or their family members. As such, we do not have this information to provide to any law enforcement agencies.

The Park City School District will not initiate contact with federal immigration authorities to share student information.

Counselors are available at all our schools, ready to assist students who might feel stressed or fearful due to changes in federal policies.

In the Park City School District, we are committed to giving each and every student our absolute best - every single day. Guided by our "We All Belong" initiative, we remain focused on providing a welcoming educational environment that supports every student.

Sincerely,

Interim Superintendent Caleb Fine

La declaración completa en español:

Ayer recibimos un aviso sobre nuevas directrices del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos en relación con las políticas de aplicación de la ley de inmigración. Estas nuevas directrices permiten a los agentes federales de inmigración llevar a cabo acciones en áreas anteriormente consideradas sensibles, incluyendo las escuelas. Reconocemos las preocupaciones que este cambio puede generar en nuestra comunidad y queremos asegurarles que estamos al tanto de estos desarrollos.

Por favor, tengan la seguridad de que todos los niños, sin importar su estatus migratorio, son bienvenidos en nuestras escuelas. Todos los estudiantes, incluyendo aquellos sin documentos, tienen los mismos derechos para asistir a escuelas públicas de primaria y secundaria que los ciudadanos estadounidenses y los residentes permanentes.

Es importante que los padres y tutores mantengan actualizada la información de contacto y los datos de emergencia de sus hijos. Esto puede hacerse comunicándose con la secretaria o el coordinador de Outreach en la escuela de su estudiante. Cada estudiante debe tener dos contactos de emergencia que no necesariamente deben ser familiares, pero sí adultos de confianza designados por el padre o tutor.

Nuestro distrito no recopila información relacionada con el estatus migratorio de los estudiantes o sus familias. Por lo tanto, no contamos con esta información para proporcionarla a las agencias de aplicación de la ley.

El Distrito Escolar de Park City no iniciará contacto con las autoridades federales de inmigración ni compartirá información sobre los estudiantes.

Además, tenemos consejeros disponibles en todas nuestras escuelas para apoyar a los estudiantes que puedan sentirse estresados o con miedo debido a estos cambios en las políticas federales.

En el Distrito Escolar de Park City, estamos comprometidos a dar lo mejor de nosotros a cada estudiante, cada día. Guiados por nuestra iniciativa "Todos Pertenecemos," seguimos enfocados en brindar un ambiente educativo acogedor que respalde a cada estudiante.

Atentamente,

Caleb Fine
Superintendente Interino