Dear Catskill CSD Families
At Catskill Central School District, our highest priority is to provide a safe, welcoming, and supportive learning environment for every student. Given the current news regarding immigration enforcement, we want to clearly explain how we protect your child’s rights and how our schools will handle visits from agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should they occur.
- U.S. Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe guarantees all students the right to a free public education, regardless of their immigration status.
- Catskill CSD does not collect or share information regarding the immigration status of our students or their families.
- ICE will not be permitted to remove a student from school grounds without the proper legal authorization, such as a warrant signed by a judge.
- No ICE officials will be granted entry to our schools, or given access to students or school records, without the proper legal authorization, such as a warrant signed by a judge.
- All ICE requests will be reviewed by the superintendent’s office and the District’s legal counsel before any action may be taken.
- To ensure consistency and legal compliance across our campuses, our superintendent’s office is the only point of contact for ICE. School staff are instructed to refer all inquiries there immediately.
Protecting the rights of all students while complying with applicable laws is our priority. Our goal is to remain transparent and ensure that you feel confident sending your children to school every day. We are here to support your child and provide them with the best possible education we can.
Sincerely,
John Xanthis
Interim Superintendent
Deborah Johnson
Assistant Superintendent