Frequently Asked Questions: Immigration Status

Q: Can students be denied access to public education because of immigration status?

A: No. The United States Supreme Court ruled nearly thirty years ago that children must be provided public
education services regardless of their immigration status or their parents and guardians immigration status.

Q: Does Bellevue School District request or collect immigration status information on students or families?
A: No. Bellevue School District does not ask for or collect immigration status.

Q. What will happen to my student(s) if I or my significant other are detained and unable to pick up the student from
school?
A: If a parent and or guardian is unable to pick up a child at the end of the school day for any reasons, the school
will take reasonable steps to see that the student does not leave school property except under the appropriate
supervision of an adult. If you have not updated your emergency contact list recently, contact your school
registrar at the secondary level or office manager at the elementary level to verify that the appropriate person
or persons are listed and current contact information has been provided. When identifying emergency contacts,
consider who in your immediate community has known you and your child and is able to provide a safe and
stable environment for your student.

Q. When does the district contact law enforcement or Child Protective Services (CPS)?
A: Bellevue School District employees are mandatory reporters and are required to contact law enforcement
and/or CPS when they have knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that a student has been the victim of
child abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or when there is a perceived or substantial threat to the health and safety
of a student or students. District Policy 4310 and Procedure 4310P, Relations with the Law Enforcement, Child
Protective Agencies and the County Health Department, describe the relationship between the district and
agencies. Click here to view the policy and procedure.

Q: What should I do if I or my student feels like we have been the victim of discrimination or harassment?
A: Bellevue School District takes all complaints seriously and we want to assure that our schools continue to
remain to be safe and healthy learning environments for all students. The school district prohibits harassment,
intimidation and bullying of students for any reason.

Please immediately report concerns or incidents to a school administrator. You can make a report in person,
online, by text or phone call (425-324-3875) or by emailing 1177@alert1.us. HIB forms are also available in the
front office of every school. To access additional information on making a report, click here to visit our Report a
Safety Concern webpage.

Q: What should I do if I want to understand my immigration rights?

A: An immigration attorney or immigration advocacy organization is the appropriate place to seek advice about
immigration status and your rights. To find an attorney, you can visit the American Immigration Lawyers
Association website (www.aila.org) or Eastside Legal Assistance Program (www.elap.org).

References:
Immigration Information
American Immigration Lawyers Association www.aila.org
Eastside Legal Assistance www.elap.org
Bellevue School District Policy and Procedures
3207 Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying
3210 Nondiscrimination
3421 Child Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Prevention
4260 Use of School Facilities
4310 Relations with the Law Enforcement, Child Protective Agencies and the County Health Department
5011 Sexual Harassment
Report a Safety Concern: www.bsd405.org/help/report