NSBA and NEA Publish Undocumented Students Legal Issues Guide

Alexandria, Va. – September 15, 2009 – The National School Boards Association (NSBA), with a generous grant from the National Education Association (NEA), released a publication designed to help school districts answer questions about the legal rights of undocumented students in public K-12 schools. Legal Issues for School Districts Related to the Education of Undocumented Children offers practical information for schools as they deal with this complicated issue.

Sixteen national education organizations have signed onto the guide, which will go to every school district in the United States and is available on NSBA and NEA’s websites. The guide provides answers to 13 questions that school districts face as they navigate the growing trend of undocumented student enrollment.

“NSBA is happy that with the help of NEA we could add to the fairly limited body of legal guidance on this delicate issue,” said NSBA General Counsel Francisco M. Negrón, Jr. “We encourage school officials to confer with school attorneys and use the guide as a resource.”

“The guide reflects the shared belief of NSBA and NEA that all children should be educated regardless of immigration status.,” said, NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant. “The guide aims for school board members and educators to use it as a starting place to learn about the rights of undocumented students in school.”

Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association (www.nsba.org) is a not-for-profit federation of state associations of school boards representing 95,000 local school board members throughout the United States. Its mission is to foster excellence and equity in public elementary and secondary education through local school board leadership. NSBA represents the school board perspective in working with federal government agencies and national organizations that impact education, and provides vital information and services to state associations of school boards throughout the nation.

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Legal Issues for School Districts Related to the Education of Undocumented Children:
http://www.nsba.org/SecondaryMenu/COSA/Search/AllCOSAdocuments/Undocumented-Children.aspx