The Pine Bush Central School District’s Board of Education voted unanimously Sept. 8 to adopt Policy 7134, a measure aimed at safeguarding the rights of immigrant students, after Superintendent Joseph Lenz outlined the district’s approach to interactions with federal immigration authorities.

Lenz told the board that if a representative of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were to arrive on district property, that person would need a federal judicial warrant before being permitted to interact with a student. He said any ICE representative would first need to contact him or, in his absence, an assistant superintendent, and that he would consult with the district’s attorney before responding to such a request.

Lenz also said the district would not serve as a source of information about students’ immigration status, adding that ICE would have to obtain any such information on its own. He said the district does not intend to pose a threat to immigrant students on the basis of their immigration status.

According to Lenz, regulations protecting immigrant students’ rights are already in place statewide, and the federal government is aware of New York’s expectations on the matter.

The newly adopted policy states that the district is committed to ensuring all students have equal access to a free public education in a safe and inclusive environment, regardless of their immigration status or that of their families. It cites New York Education Law Section 3201-b and outlines protections against unlawful discrimination, unauthorized disclosure of student information, and disruptions to a student’s education based on immigration status.

Under the policy, school personnel are barred from using school resources for immigration enforcement, disclosing information about a student’s immigration status, or granting immigration authorities access to non-public areas of school property without a valid federal judicial warrant signed by a U.S. District Court or magistrate judge. The policy states that civil immigration warrants, administrative detainers and other non-judicial documents do not provide sufficient authority for such access.

The policy also designates the superintendent as the district’s Immigrant Student Rights Liaison, a role responsible for reviewing any requests from immigration authorities to enter school property or take custody of a student, and for notifying parents or guardians of their legal rights. In the event of such a request, the liaison is required to consult with the district’s attorney, confirm whether a valid judicial warrant has been presented, and notify the New York State Education Department’s Privacy Office.

The policy further states that if a parent or guardian is detained by immigration authorities or fails to pick up a student as scheduled, the district will keep the student on school premises and will not contact the state’s child abuse and maltreatment register unless every reasonable effort has been made to reach other authorized emergency contacts.

The board’s vote followed a motion by board member Shauna Best, seconded by Kristi Kheiralla. The measure passed with support from Gretchen Meier, Dori Johnson, Kheiralla, Erik Buckley, Peter Agro, Best and Phillip Salinardi.

In other business, the board voted to approve inter-municipal agreements with the Valley Central and Cornwall Central school districts to allow for combined bus routes to out-of-district programs when both districts are transporting students to the same or similar locations. The board authorized Lenz to execute the agreements. That motion, made by Johnson and seconded by Kheiralla, also carried unanimously.

The board is scheduled to meet again Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Circleville Middle School.