Policy No. 4310

Community Relations

RELATIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

The primary responsibility for maintaining proper order and conduct in the schools resides with District staff. Staff will be responsible for holding students accountable for infractions of school rules, which may include minor violations of the law occurring during school hours or at school activities.

However, there are times when District staff will call upon law enforcement, child protective agencies, and the county health department to ensure the safety and protection of students or staff. Where there is substantial threat to the health and safety of students or others, such as in the case of bomb threats, threats of violence, trafficking in prohibited drugs, or the scheduling of events where large crowds may be difficult to handle, law enforcement will be called upon for assistance. Information regarding major violations of the law will be communicated to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The District will strive to develop and maintain cooperative working relationship with law enforcement agencies, child protective agencies, and health department officials. The superintendent will confer with representatives of those agencies to establish agreed upon procedures for cooperation. Such procedures should address: the handling and reporting of allegations and/or investigations of child abuse and neglect, communicable diseases, and major criminal activity (including bomb threats and student threat assessments); protocols for arrests by law enforcement officers on District premises; the availability of law enforcement personnel for crowd control; and other matters where the work and duties of the District overlap with those agencies. Such procedures include Procedure 3432P (“Emergencies”) and Procedure 3226P (“Interviews and Interrogations of Students on School Premises”). The District will revise the procedures as necessary and make them available to affected staff members.

If the District engages with a school resource officer (SRO), the District will clarify its relationship with the SRO, including the SRO’s purpose, role, supervisory structure, and limitations on access to student information, in a written memorandum of understanding (MOU).

In contrast to the working relationships noted above, the work of immigration agents does not overlap with the work or duties of the District. The District’s obligation to educate does not depend on the immigration status of children or their parents/guardians. The District therefore supports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy that enforcement actions do not occur at, and are not focused on, sensitive locations, including schools and school bus stops. As described in Procedure 3226P, absent an exigent (emergency) circumstance, a judicial warrant will be required before an immigration agent, such as an ICE officer, will be permitted to access a District school. All requests by immigration agents to interview or interrogate students will be forwarded to the superintendent for review consistent with federal and state law and in consultation with legal counsel.

Cross References:

Legal References:

Management Resources:

Adopted: October 12, 2009

Revised: February 8, 2021