Infrastructure needs, immigration among issues discussed at Oswego 308 School Board candidate forum

Infrastructure needs for aging school buildings and whether immigration agents should be allowed on school district property were two of the issues discussed during an Oswego District 308 School Board candidate forum on March 19.

The virtual candidate forum was hosted by The League of Women Voters Aurora Area.

Eight candidates are running for four seats open on the board. They include Oswego Library Board trustee James Marter of Oswego, who also is running for reelection to the Oswego Library Board.

Other candidates include Katie Heiden, of Oswego; Rovel Pollock, of Oswego; Erika Sieh, of Aurora; Dawn Marquis, of Oswego; Kari Foulk, of Oswego; Brandi Robinson, of Aurora, and Heather Martin, of Montgomery.

Marter, Marquis and Folk did not participate in the forum. Oswego SD308 covers about 68 square miles, taking in parts of Oswego, Aurora, Joliet, Montgomery, Plainfield and Yorkville.

Infrastructure needs

Regarding infrastructure needs, Martin said if elected, she would prioritize what work is needed to ensure that the issues that are most disruptive to the students are the ones that are being taken care of first.

“Obviously, our students all need a safe environment and our students all need a comfortable environment,” she said.

Pollock said making the buildings safer should be a high priority. She would take a look at roofing as well as HVAC system needs.

“Essentially, we would have to address capital improvements over a period of time, but prioritizing what’s most pressing,” Pollock said.

Immigration enforcement on school campuses

When asked if they support the state law that prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to apprehend undocumented students, Robinson said she does support the current law.

“At the end of the day, these are our kids,” she said. “And I can’t imagine as a parent what that would look like because it absolutely has started in the state of Illinois as far as ICE going to different schools and you do see parents being afraid. So I definitely want to make sure that not only are we following the Illinois guidelines, but we’re making sure we’re communicating to the parents because we are going to be a pivotal part of the success, but most importantly, the safety of our kids.”

Sieh agreed.

“I think it would be very dramatic to have ICE agents walking into a kindergarten classroom and dragging out a student,” she said. “I think we obviously should follow the laws. So if there’s a signed warrant by a judge, then we should follow the rules, but unless they have that warrant, I don’t think they should be in the school buildings.”

Heiden said as a parent of four children, she could not imagine such a scenario. She stressed the importance of following the state’s guidelines along with the advice of the Illinois State Board of Education and the district’s attorneys.

“Student safety is really key,” she said. “I know we have to follow protocol, but making sure that our students and families feel safe while they’re in school is important.”

At a recent Dist. 308 School Board meeting, Oswego School District 308 School Superintendent Andalib Khelghati said the district is legally prohibited from collecting or maintaining the immigration records of any student.

In addition, he said all student records are safeguarded under state and federal law. A court order would be needed for disclosure, Khelghati said.

“While the likelihood of an immigration officer visiting our schools is low, our district and building leaders have received guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education and our legal counsel on the proper procedure to follow,” Khelghati said. “Only a criminal warrant signed by a judge would permit an ICE agent to enter a school. Even in such cases, our building leaders have been directed to contact the district immediately and to involve legal counsel to verify the warrant and to secure the appropriate and properly handling if it even gets to that.”

The forum can be watched on the League’s Facebook page.