Following Trump’s policy change, JCPS provides staff with instructions for handling government visits to schools
Louisville: So, here’s the scoop. Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) just sent out some pretty detailed instructions to their principals. This comes right after the feds decided they could start making immigration arrests in schools again. Yikes, right?
On the very first day of Trump’s presidency, the Department of Homeland Security rolled back a policy that kept ICE agents from doing their thing at sensitive spots like schools. That’s a big deal, especially for a district like JCPS, where a lot of students come from immigrant families.
JCPS is trying to keep things calm. They told staff to call the district police if any government officials show up and to have an officer on hand. They also want to keep parents in the loop unless it’s about child abuse allegations. It’s all about making sure everyone knows what to do in these situations.
Carolyn Callahan, a spokesperson for JCPS, mentioned that this guidance isn’t brand new but more of a reminder given all the chatter in the media. They want to make sure principals feel supported and have answers to their questions.
With one in five students in JCPS being born outside the U.S., this policy change could really shake things up. They’ve got schools like Newcomer Academy that cater specifically to recent immigrants, and many other schools have a significant number of nonnative English speakers.
Over the last 20 years, Kentucky has seen a massive 400% increase in students who don’t speak English. That’s one of the biggest jumps in the country! Most of these newcomers end up in Louisville, and JCPS has nearly 20,000 multilingual students now, which is a huge increase from just five years ago.
Other districts are feeling the heat too. Iowa’s largest public school district is forming a team to look out for students whose families might be affected by these immigration policies. It’s a tough situation, and many educators are worried about how this will impact students and their families.
In short, JCPS is doing its best to navigate these changes and keep students safe, no matter their immigration status. It’s a challenging time for schools across the country.
