At Cass Lake-Bena Schools, we take steps to ensure our students and staff are safe. Given the recent concerns expressed regarding the potential of federal agencies entering school premises, I want you to know that the school has a policy regarding who, when and how outside agencies can interact with students. It is Policy 519, and it is available on our website. In summary, if an agency wishes to interview/have interaction with our students on school grounds, parent permission must be obtained. There are, of course, a couple of exceptions. One is with a JUDICIAL WARRANT (signed by a judge) and the other is if it is a matter of child protection/child endangerment. There would still need to be legal documentation to allow the meeting, and school staff will be present if a meeting takes place, to safeguard our students' rights.
The high school, middle school and elementary school are school-district owned private property. While the secure entrances to the building may be accessed by the public, the remainder of the buildings are considered private, and we are not required to allow non-school staff or non-students into those parts of the building. The driveways used to access the buildings are privately owned roads. If the district determines that there is a threat to student or staff safety, the district has the right to direct individuals to leave and not return.
I have spoken with Sheriff Bryan Welk today as well. There have been concerns expressed as Cass County has been said to have a signed cooperative agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sheriff Welk stated that the agreement was signed years ago and was for training only. No current staff have been trained and Sheriff Welk stated that they will always come down on the side of local community safety. There are currently no state laws that allow local law enforcement to assist with immigration activities, and Sheriff Welk shared that in fact, a ruling by the MN Attorney General strictly prohibits MN Police Officers from participating in immigration actions. Sheriff Welk assured me that if there was some sort of action, Cass County would work alongside us to keep our students and staff safe.
Building administrators, myself and our School Resource Officer have met to plan how we respond to requests from any outside agency to interact with our students. We will work diligently to keep our children safe.