OLYMPIA—January 23, 2025—Across the country, public schools have a constitutional and moral obligation to provide a free, high-quality public education to all students residing within their school district boundaries. State and federal law prohibit public school districts from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin; and state law further prohibits discrimination on the basis of citizenship or immigration status.
In response to conversations and actions underway at the federal level, today, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released guidance on state and federal protections for immigrant students in Washington’s K–12 public schools.
The guidance provides school districts with a roadmap of requirements related to student privacy, access to educational services, and immigration enforcement on school campuses.
“We are receiving a lot of questions and concerns from schools, families, legislators, community members, and other partners,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “As we monitor the actions of the new federal administration, I want to be clear: Washington state is and will remain a state that is unequivocally committed to supporting all of our students and their families.”
Earlier this week, President Trump signed multiple executive orders related to immigration and citizenship—one being an order to end birthright citizenship. The following day, Washington and more than 20 other states sued to challenge the legality of the order.
“I applaud Attorney General Brown for his swift action this week,” Reykdal said.
OSPI is aware of reports from other states of schools being used to detain and/or identify undocumented students. OSPI is trying to determine the validity of these reports and whether this practice is happening in Washington state.
For more than a decade, federal guidance has prevented immigration enforcement activities from taking place in “sensitive areas,” including schools and churches. One of President Trump’s orders this week revokes that longstanding guidance.
Guidance from the Attorney General’s Office––rooted in state law––prohibits Washington’s public schools from initiating engagement with immigration authorities for the purpose of sharing student information. The guidance also requires public schools to have policies in place for appropriately responding when immigration enforcement authorities visit a school campus.
“In Washington state, we will do everything we can to protect our students, no matter their citizenship status,” Reykdal said. “Our State Constitution ensures access to a basic education for every child residing within our state’s borders. Our Constitution does not identify citizenship as a qualification to receive an education.”
“Our public schools are a place where students from all different backgrounds come together to learn side-by-side,” Reykdal concluded. “This is the rich diversity that America is known for, and we intend to uphold these values in the months and years ahead.”
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