Richmond County School System issues statement regarding executive orders on immigration, school protections
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The Richmond County School System has issued a letter to parents and guardians addressing recent federal executive orders regarding immigration and school protections.
In it, the school systems states its intent to provide education for all students, regardless of their immigration or citizenship status.
They also address the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), stating that they are dedicated to upholding the privacy of all students in the district.
You can read the full letter, below:
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Due to recent federal executive orders concerning immigration and school protections, we feel it is important to reaffirm our commitment to student access and rights within our schools. Our goal is to provide you with crucial information regarding these rights and access.
The Richmond County School System's vision is to offer an equitable education for all students, preparing them for life beyond the classroom. This vision stands firm today. Every child is constitutionally guaranteed the right to a K-12 education and deserves to be treated fairly and equally, regardless of their immigration or citizenship status. Additionally, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) ensures the privacy of student educational records and limits the sharing of personally identifiable information without parental consent, except under specific conditions. We are dedicated to upholding the privacy and protection of all students in our district, regardless of their immigration or citizenship status.
We will continue to monitor federal changes and review guidance on immigration issues from federal and state authorities as it becomes available. Should you have any concerns or questions, we encourage you to contact your child's school principal.
We recognize that this may be a time of uncertainty for some of our families. Please know that our focus remains on ensuring that our students feel safe, supported, and able to learn in a welcoming school environment.
Thank you for being a valued part of the Richmond County School System community.
Dr. Malinda CobbInterim Superintendent of SchoolsRichmond County School System
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Augusta Commissioner Jordan Johnson lets us know what's happening at city hall and around the area
AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF) These are busy times for Augusta's leaders. We welcome District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson to The Means Report. He talks about help for the homeless, the arena naming, and other hot topics in Richmond County. Watch our interview and be sure to join us for The Means Report. We are on Monday afternoon at 12:30 on NewsChannel 6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Looking at Augusta's big issues with Commissioner Francine Scott
AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF) Francine Scott is our guest on this edition of The Means Report. She represents Super District 9 on the Augusta Commission. She will talk to us about issues that impact her district as well as the entire community. From the arena naming to the state of our jails, we cover a lot of ground. Watch our interview and find out what's happening in the Augusta area. Be sure to join us for The Means Report. We are on Monday afternoon at 12:30 on NewsChannel 6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teachers' union files complaint against NM school after questions about student's immigration status
ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – A local teachers' union wants to know why a New Mexico school district is asking students about their citizenship status. The union has now filed a complaint against the district, hoping to get more answers. 'We would like to prevent it from happening again,' said Mary Parr-Sánchez, President of the National Education Association of New Mexico (NEA-NM). Story continues below Entertainment: First-of-its-kind indoor pickleball facility coming to northeast Albuquerque Community: Albuquerque church leaning on faith after 2 members killed by their son Environment: What should New Mexicans do if they come across a raccoon? In an effort to prepare students for real-world jobs, Española Public Schools has used optional career-readiness programs that help connect students with potential future employers. One of those programs is a standardized test called the ACT WorkKeys Assessment. To take the test, students must provide personal information. 'Collecting demographic information on students is not out of the norm,' Parr-Sánchez said. 'Like, if they're male or female, how old they are, their ethnicity, that type of thing. That is normal demographic information.' What's not common are questions related to students' citizenship status. But, according to a group of teachers with Española Public Schools, as part of the assessment, the district directed teachers at Española Valley High School to ask students for their country of origin, and their 'alien registration number'. 'We were contacted by educators and their leadership from Española that Española Valley High School was asking teachers to collect immigration data,' Parr-Sánchez explained. According to Parr-Sánchez, a former teacher with 25 years of experience, and someone who's administered standardized tests, these types of questions raised concerns. As the current president of the NEA-NM, a local teachers' union, she's taken steps to figure out who sent the directive, and why, by filing a complaint with the state. The district has until June 2nd to formally respond. 'They were terrified to be asked to give private information about their students,' Parr-Sanchez said about the teachers who brought the incident to her attention. The union argues the incident goes against a bargain reached by the district and teachers' union, arguing the directive is out of educators' agreed-upon 'work conditions.' They also believe it violates FERPA, a federal law that protects student privacy. 'Our mission is to educate every child that comes to our schools regardless of their race, ethnicity, country of origin,' Parr-Sánchez added. Española Public Schools said they've started an investigation into the concerns and will take appropriate action if any violations are found. It's unclear who, or why the directive was sent out. The district sid they are unable to comment further, as the investigation takes place. NEA-NM provided KRQE News 13 with a quote from the ACT testing group, that states 'ACT does not ask for, or collect information about examinees immigration status… this is not a requirement for taking our exams and is not information we collect or use in any way.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.