Columbus City Schools

Dear Columbus City Schools Staff,

As I shared last week, Columbus City Schools (CCS) remains fully committed to providing safe learning environments for students regardless of immigration status, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin, age, gender identity or expression, ancestry, familial status, military status, disability, or genetic information. The safety of our students and staff will always be a key priority and responsibility of the District. I am aware that many of you are receiving questions and concerns from students, families and other staff about the potential presence of government officials, including officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on our school campuses. It is important that all staff are aware of the current policies and procedures to follow should a government official arrive at your building and/or request records for information.

Current Policies

Columbus City Schools is committed to protecting students’ privacy rights. CCS does not require immigration status or social security identification of our students and families. Since the District does not collect this information, CCS will never share this information (see Board Policy No. 5111).

CCS is committed to being an inclusive, diverse, and equity-centered institution and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying, or intimidation based on immigration status or for any other reason (see Board Policy No. 5517).

Pursuant to Board Policy No. 9150 and Administrative Guideline 9150, every visitor to a school must register at the school office. No visitor may see a student in school unless it is with the specific approval of the principal. If an emergency situation requires that a student be called to the office to meet with a visitor, a member of the administrative staff must be present during the conference. A student is never to be permitted to leave the school with anyone who is not clearly identified as their parent/guardian or an appropriately authorized person.

What to Do If a Government Official Arrives at Your Building

The school should immediately contact the Office of General Counsel (OGC). Schools are not “public spaces” during the school day. School buildings and grounds are not open to the public during the school day, meaning they are not open for uninvited individuals to come and go, including law enforcement officers. Officers are not permitted to approach students on school grounds without a warrant.

Follow these steps:

• Immediately contact the Office of General Counsel at (614) 365-5673.
• Do not act until you obtain instructions from OGC.
• If OGC cannot be reached by phone, immediately reach out to your Area Superintendent or the Chief of Staff (380) 997-4450.

• Greet the officer at the school entrance, where visitors are screened for entry.
• Request the following information from the officer:
• Name and identification/credentials;
• Phone number of the officer’s supervisor;
• Reason for the visit during school hours; and
• Any documentation from the officer (such as a subpoena, warrant, or court order).
• Send an electronic copy of a warrant, subpoena, or court order to OGC (send to your initial contact).
• Send public record requests to the Office of General Counsel via publicrecordsrequest@columbus.k12.oh.us.

• Politely advise the officer that:
• CCS procedures require schools to notify and obtain guidance from OGC; and
• The officer does not have permission to access the school building or school grounds without authorization from OGC.
• Provide the officer with a waiting space outside or in the main office that is not disruptive to school operations.
• Contact the parents/guardians of the student(s) in question only after receiving authorization from OGC. If the parents/guardians cannot be reached, call their listed emergency contacts. When contacting parents/guardians, use their preferred language of communication, if possible.
• If the officer fails to comply with these protocols, advise the officer that you do not consent to a search of the building. Do not attempt to physically interfere with or obstruct an officer in the performance of their duties. Simply present your objection to the officer, make note of it, and immediately elevate the matter to the Columbus Police Department, in addition to contacting OGC.

• Any warrants or subpoenas:
• A warrant, subpoena, or court order is required to conduct a search unless school staff consents to the search. Because these documents require careful legal review, schools must follow the procedures set forth above, including immediately contacting the Office of General Counsel at (614) 365-5673.

Training for Staff

To ensure that all staff are aware of the procedures to follow, training sessions are available:

• Principals, Assistant Principals, All District Administrators
• Via Zoom on Thursday, January 30 from 4pm-5pm
• Secretaries, Enrollment Specialists
• Via Zoom on Wednesday, February 5 from 1pm-1:30pm
• Safety & Security Specialists
• Via Zoom on Wednesday, February 5 from 1pm-1:30pm
• Additional training dates for other staff to be identified

Ask Families to Update Emergency Contacts

Please ensure all families review and update their emergency contact information through the Parent Portal. Each student should have at least two emergency contacts. These individuals do not need to be family members; they can be any trusted adult known by the family. We also ask that families identify those authorized to pick up their students (including older siblings) from school if a parent or guardian cannot.

Know Your Rights

All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, and Community Refugee & Immigration Services (CRIS) have resources available for staff and families to help build awareness. Printable Rights Cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) are readily available in Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Pashto, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

Media Guidance

If you are contacted by a member of the media or a member of the media shows up to the building, immediately contact Mike De Fabbo, Chief of Staff (380) 997-4450 or Tyler Carter, Executive Director of Communications (380) 997-2294.

Additional Supports

Columbus City Schools will continue to work with city agencies and community organizations to support our students, families, and staff to ensure our community’s constitutional rights are respected. More information and resources will be shared in the coming days and weeks.

Thank you for your support and leadership in ensuring our schools remain safe, welcoming, inclusive and supportive. CCS will continue to provide information and resources in the coming weeks as we, and school districts across the country, work to maintain focus on providing a high-quality education in warm and welcoming environments to all of our students.

I also want to thank our unions (CEA, CSEA, Safety & Security Local #581) and association partners (CAA, CSCSA) for collaborating with us as we provide guidance to our staff and continuous support to our students and families.

Sincerely,

Dr. Angela Chapman

The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (ESC) has compiled a list of community resources in Central Ohio to help support undocumented students and families. Please feel free to share this information with staff in your school, and provide appropriate resources to families in need.

The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (ESC) provides school districts and schools with professional development, technology, human resource, and administrative supports, and direct student services that help improve student learning, enhance the quality of instruction, expand equitable access to resources, and maximize operating and fiscal efficiencies.

Please see the list below for recourses.

Dear Columbus City Schools Community,

Since the November election, I have heard from many of you who have expressed concern over the well-being of our New American and immigrant students. We know that New American and immigrant students are a vital part of our Columbus City Schools community, enriching the lives of their fellow students, their teachers and all school staff. All students have a right to public education, and the United States Supreme Court has confirmed that all students, regardless of their immigration status, may not be denied this constitutional right. Therefore, our CCS families should know that Columbus City Schools are and will continue to be a safe place for all students.

As Ohio’s largest school district, Columbus City Schools is proud to be an inclusive, diverse, and equity-centered institution that strives to be a model of excellence in public education. We want to reassure our community that CCS remains fully committed to providing safe learning environments for students regardless of immigration status, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin, age, gender identity or expression, ancestry, familial status, military status, disability, or genetic information. The safety of our students and staff will always be a key priority and responsibility of the District.

We are committed to identifying and providing additional resources for our students, staff and community, and that our focus remains on providing a high-quality education in warm and welcoming environments to the students of Columbus.

Sincerely,

Dr. Angela Chapman