Olathe is a city many new parents choose to settle in due to its grade-A school district. Olathe is ranked third out of 279 school districts in Kansas and holds over 29,000 enrolled students. It is open for kids in pre-K up to 12th grade. Parents rely on the district as their kids grow to educate them and keep them safe. Teachers and administrators claim safety is their number one priority, but how can they protect their students from the president’s new federal policy concerning unwarranted detainment?
As of the inauguration of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20, Trump declared a National Emergency at the Southern Border. President Trump has permitted Homeland Security to take any legal action needed. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) works under Homeland Security which has an annual budget of eight billion dollars.
ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) also operates under ICE. It deports illegal immigrants beyond the border.
The closest ERO office to Olathe West is 42 minutes away, located in Kansas City, MO. That office covers northwest Missouri to northeast Kansas. Although ICE has not been on our school campuses, other districts in America are being affected by the federal policy.
On Jan. 24, at Hamline Elementary School in Chicago, there was said to be an attempted ICE raid on the school. This is the first time anything has happened since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated the reversal of the policy for ICE to enter churches and schools.
With this statement known by Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova, the school was able to follow CPS protocols and the officers were not able to enter the school. ICE claimed that they did not go to Hamline Elementary, whereas when the CPS CEO Pedro Martinez was asked, he claimed ICE shared their credentials with his staff.
USD 233 has ICE protocols put in place as well. Superintendent Dr. Brent Yeager sent out an email to Olathe school faculty in January. The email states:
“Olathe Public School Staff,
I want to address an important matter regarding recent changes in federal policy that may directly impact our schools. These changes modify protections for “sensitive locations,” including schools, allowing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) to conduct enforcement actions on school grounds.
…
The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority. While these changes are being analyzed, our focus will continue to be on protecting and supporting our students and families. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these developments.
If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor or building leader. Thank you for your commitment to our students.
Dr. Brent Yeager
Superintendent”
To ensure the safety and privacy of families in the district, the Olathe Board of Education sent the following email to the Olathe community written by the Board of Education President Dr. Stacey Yurkovich, and the Board of Education Vice President Julie Steele:
“We recognize that discussions this week in the community about recent changes in federal policy related to immigration have raised questions about the role of school districts in these matters. Please know that as a Board of Education and public school district, we are unwavering in our commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, and we educate all students with the foundation of our notice of non-discrimination and with federal law, regardless of immigration or citizenship status.
We fully support the steps our district leadership and administration has taken this week to remind all building leaders and staff of the longstanding safety procedures and student information privacy rights in place. To be clear, student information is protected by law and the district does not disclose educational records without a court order, which would be verified by the district’s legal processes. In addition, no visitors are admitted to district buildings without presenting valid identification, and law enforcement agencies are not admitted without first consulting with our district’s Safety Services department.”
The Board of Education is working very hard to stay updated with new federal policies to best protect the students. Dr. Yeager ended his email with a quote stressing the legal side of the policy.
“While I can’t predict the activity of any law enforcement agency, it is clear that any law enforcement agency would not be admitted without first consulting with our district’s Safety Services department,” Yeager said.
