Superintendent Matt Fisher gives a presentation to the Board of Education about a safety plan for deportation events.
GRAND ISLAND – On Dec. 12, 2006, federal immigration agents raided the Swift and Co. packing plant in Grand Island.
The event resulted in more than 250 arrests. The raid also caused a crisis for Grand Island Public Schools, because there were students who had one or both parents arrested in the raid.
Now, Grand Island Public Schools wants to be prepared for any deportation event.
According to 2023-24 statistics, the school district has 10,070 students, of which 59 percent are Hispanic, 33 percent are White, and 4 percent are Black.
Superintendent Matt Fisher gave a presentation about the safety plan to the school district’s Board of Education Feb. 13.
Fisher said that personnel began working on the plan in August 2024. Legal reviews showed that many migrant families lacked emergency caregivers. School district officials have worked with families to get emergency contacts listed in the school district’s student information system.
Several school district departments, the Multicultural Coalition, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, and federal immigration enforcement officials were involved in the planning.
The plan was built on a pre-existing emergency operation plan and protocols. It was updated and streamlined through stakeholder meetings. The plan is incorporated as an appendix in the district’s Emergency Operations Plan.
Non-mandatory vector training for staff and administration covering duties, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and school district policy. “Be Prepared Orange Folders” with linked resources available on the school district website were distributed.
In the event of a deportation event, enforcement agencies will coordinate their efforts with the school district’s Safety Department. The school district will contact the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services 45 minutes after dismissal concerning any students who remain at school. School district staff have volunteered to care for students for up to 48 hours, supported by meals from the district’s Nutrition Services Department and social workers for emotional support.
After a deportation event, the district’s Crisis Team will be activated to set up safe spaces and offer wellness counseling if needed. School counselors and social workers will provide support. Efforts will be made to have “normalcy” for students, and schools will remain as safe spaces with familiar routines.
Schools are “committed to safety, support, and maintaining normalcy,” Fisher said.
To access any student information from the school district’s student database, authorities would have to furnish a subpoena or warrant signed by a judge, Fisher said.
School Board member Eric Garcia-Mendez said, “There are people in our community who are scared.”
School Board member Carlos Barcenas said it was important that the school district had a plan to keep students safe.
School Board member Lisa Albers noted that the school district does not ask students about their immigration status.
During the public comment portion of the Board meeting, Yolanda Nuncio of Grand Island spoke to the Board about the safety plan. She is an advocate for local Hispanics and immigrants.
“I want to commend the school district for the plan to keep our children safe,” she said.
She noted that the school district’s paras have considerable contact with families. She suggested having paras communicate with parents and families about the safety plan.
“Most of the paras are bilingual in one language or another,” she said.
