Below, please find a letter that was emailed to parents in the Manchester School District.  Inasmuch as the district has long retained the services of the Drummond Woodsum law firm, based out of Portland, ME, we also include a link from a story published by the Maine Wire in which Drummond’s legal advice was generally shared with school districts in Maine.  The actions taken by the Manchester School District reflect this legal advice, as discussed on the Girard at Large TV Show, also linked below.

As of this writing, no elected official in the city of Manchester, including Mayor Jay Ruais, who actively chairs the Board of School Committee and has publicly stated Manchester is not a sanctuary city “because we fully cooperate with federal law enforcement,” has issued no statement on this letter, which he would have received as a member of the board, if not before hand, then when it was sent to parents.  (Note, while Manchester does cooperate with federal immigration authorities when asked to do so, it does not initiate contact with those same authorities when it arrests an illegal immigrant who has committed crime(s) in our city, no matter how violent.)

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Dear Families, 

The Manchester School District takes immense pride in the rich diversity that defines our community. Our students’ unique backgrounds and experiences contribute to a vibrant and inclusive environment where learning, growth, and success thrive. Every day we welcome over 12,000 students into our schools. We are steadfast in ensuring they feel safe, supported, and focused on achieving their best—whether that’s in the classroom, on stage, in athletics, or pursuing their passions.

In light of recent changes to national immigration policies, we want to take a moment to reassure our community and emphasize our commitment to protecting and supporting every student and family in our district. 

We wanted to reach out in response to the recent announcements shared in local and national news about changes to national immigration policies regarding undocumented citizens that could impact students and families in our schools. Over the last few days, a number of families have reached out to district staff with questions and concerns about these changes. While new information is coming in each day, we want to affirm that our number one priority is to create a safe learning environment that makes students feel welcome regardless of their real or perceived immigration status. We also want you to know that we have shared this same information with all staff.   

When it comes to our students or families’ immigration status, please know that the Manchester School District (MSD) maintains the following protections:

Access to Education for All: Every child residing in Manchester has the right to a quality public education, regardless of immigration status, race, ethnicity, language, or neighborhood. This is a core value and legal mandate of our district. 

Resources for your consideration:  In addition we have included local resources for your review and use if you…

Our team continues to monitor the situation and will provide further updates as new information becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns we would remind you to reach out to your student’s school administration, guidance counselor, multilingual liaison or a member of the district team.  

 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Chmiel, Amadou Hamady, Wendy Perron

Publisher’s note:  

Jennifer Chimel is the Superintendent of Schools.

Amadou Hamady is formerly a social worker at Central High School and is now the Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

Wendy Perron is the Executive Director of English Language Instruction and Equity

Here’s the story from the Maine Wire:

Maine Law Firm Tells Public Schools to Resist ICE Enforcement by Destroying Immigration Records

Here is a link to the Girard at Large TV show regarding this matter: