Saints Families,
St. James Public Schools has received questions regarding some of the political policies at the current time. Our first and foremost priority is for the safety, health, and welfare of each student. In addition to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for each student, here is information and procedures for the school district.
Campus safety and security.
All of our schools have secure entrances and check-in procedures. When entering a school building, all individuals must check in with the front office and state their reason for entering and being on campus. If legal issues arise, the administration is charged with following procedures outlined within the school district’s emergency procedures plan and/or following specific steps that involve conferencing with the school district attorney.
If students are outside for educational purposes, recess, or other breaks, we have staff who are outside monitoring students. If a stranger, unknown individual, or group of individuals were to approach them while outside. Students will be escorted into the school and safety procedures will be followed by staff and students, which involves notifying administration immediately. Individuals must go to the office and follow the check in procedures.
What legal protections exist for students and student data?
The landmark Plyler v. Doe Supreme Court case established that all children, regardless of immigration status, have the right to a public education. Schools cannot deny a student a public education based on immigration status.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records and restricts the sharing of personally identifiable information (PII) without parental consent. This includes data that might indirectly reveal a student’s special education, medical, and/or immigration status. FERPA applies to all educational institutions that receive funding under any program administered by the U.S. Department of Education, including K-12 schools and colleges/universities. Importantly, FERPA explicitly supersedes any conflicting state laws that attempt to mandate the release of protected student data. Additionally, FERPA generally prohibits schools from sharing student records with immigration or law enforcement agencies without consent or a judicial order.
St. James Public Schools does not collect or have any data on any student that would indicate immigration status or any identifiable information of such. In fact, for all students' safety and to protect students identity, we eliminated any social security numbers and other highly vulnerable information so that if the student information system was ever compromised this information was not in our database.
What if an outside agency agent asks to interview a student on school property?
The agent must have a proper warrant to speak with a specific student. If not, parents must be notified and give consent prior to the student speaking with the agent. Parents may choose not to give their consent, as it is their legal right. Either way, the school district will contact our school district’s attorney to validate the warrant, the agent's credentials, and any other information prior to anything happening with a student.
Procedure of school district office staff if an agent(s) comes to the school
Welcome the agent(s).
Ask them to provide identification.
Make a copy of their identification.
Immediately inform the Building Principal AND Superintendent.
The Building Principal/Superintendent will confirm the identification
The Building Principal/Superintendent will connect with the district’s attorney
Ask the agent(s) if they have any paperwork (i.e., subpoena, warrant, etc.). Ask to make copies of the paperwork for the school district’s attorney to review.
Ask the agent(s) to sit in the office while the Principal and Superintendent arrive. Alternatively, you can ask them to sit in a more private area such as a conference room.
The school district will follow the direction of the school district attorney and notify any parent(s) as needed.
One of the main goals of St. James Public Schools is to have a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. We care about our students and want them to know they belong within our school community.
In Saints Pride,
Dr. Steven Heil, Superintendent