Portland schools could soon offer some remote learning options to students who are affected by increased immigration enforcement activity in the city.
Portland’s Board of Education is evaluating a plan that officials will discuss at the board’s next meeting on Tuesday, Superintendent Ryan Scallon said in a letter to parents.
Scallon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday. Board Chair Sarah Lentz said she is still working on the plan’s details.
Scallon said in his letter, dated Saturday, that the school district will not completely transition to remote learning unless it becomes “necessary for safety reasons,” and that “research shows that being in school is best for student academic progress and well-being.”
“This past week has been a tense time for our community as increased immigration enforcement actions started,” Scallon wrote in the letter. “I don’t know how long this reality will last for us, but I know that we will need to continue to rely on each other in this time.”
Scallon noted the story of Micheline Ntumba, a mother who was arrested by federal agents who appeared to be with Immigration and Customs Enforcement after bringing her child to school, the Maine Monitor reported on Wednesday.
Ntumba also worked for Portland schools on its facilities team, Scallon said. She had passed a background check and had permission to work in the country.
“Her detention has hurt our community and left her children with no head of household,” Scallon wrote.
Scallon said other families have also been affected by immigration arrests.
A district parent was arrested in September by ICE near Gerald E. Talbot Elementary school after dropping off his child. Two Portland students and their relatives were apprehended by immigration officials in November after trying to cross the Canadian border as a family. More than 500 students later protested their detention.
Absenteeism has been a problem for Portland schools for years. City schools have recently made headway in addressing the problem, but it’s possible the ongoing federal operation in the community will affect their progress.
This is a developing story.
