Durham Public Schools faces an urgent call from immigrant families to establish clearer protections for students and staff amid ICE enforcement fears, as the board charts an ambitious policy overhaul and grapples with staff compensation gaps.
Multiple parents, teachers, and students filled public comment Tuesday evening describing children dropping out of school due to immigration anxieties. An anonymous school nurse told the board that "students feeling terrified of separating from their parents...for fear of their grown-ups being taken away." Teachers from Jordan High and other schools said they lack training on how to handle ICE interactions, and protocols vary inconsistently across buildings. The community specifically requested the board pass Policy 5120 on relationships with law enforcement and create designated "private zones" where immigration enforcement cannot operate. Superintendent Lewis has offered reassurance, but families said written policies and staff training are needed now, not later.
One email a week — new spots, neighborhood intel, and what's actually worth your time.