OKLAHOMA CITY — The OKC Public Schools superintendent is reassuring district families that despite proposals by state Superintendent Ryan Walters, the district will not start checking students’ or parents’ immigration status.
“OKCPS does not, nor do we have plans to, collect the immigration status of our students or their families,” wrote Supt. Dr. Jamie C. Polk in an email to all families in the district.
Polk informed families that the proposal is just that – a proposal – and process of implementing it would come only after a “lengthy, multi-step process.”
The District will continue to closely monitor developments in the days ahead,” wrote Polk. “In the meantime, OKCPS will follow law and board policy.”
Polk wrote that “…federal law guarantees every child’s right to public education regardless of immigration status, and our District will continue operating in accordance with these established federal protections.”
Professional, experienced superintendents across the state have been forced to reassure constituents regularly when Walters issues new policy demands on them before the process of review and approval by the Oklahoma Legislature.
In a news conference at the start of school in August, Polk said in response to questions about the possible forced use of Bibles in the classroom that the district would carefully follow the law and the standards.
In the 1982 Supreme Court case of Plyler v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the State of Texas could not deny public school enrollment to children who were not citizens or in an illegal status.
It is illegal to check the immigration status of resident children before enrollment in public schools.
Members of the public will be able to comment on the immigration status rule proposal in a Jan. 17 hearing beginning at 11 a.m. at the Education Department’s headquarters in Oklahoma City.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
