Teachers and union members urge Centennial SD to act as ICE activity rises

Members of the Centennial School District community urged the board Thursday to take concrete steps after reporting increased immigration-enforcement activity near students’ homes and campuses.

Catherine Baer, identified as an English language development teacher and speaking on behalf of CEA members, said the association circulated a letter on Dec. 2 with more than 200 signers and called on the district to provide meaningful staff training with organizations experienced in immigration response (she cited PERC), district-led "know your rights" workshops for families, and emergency resources for households suddenly without income. "Silence is not neutrality. It is harm," Baer said.

Erin Blumink, an ELD teacher at Patrick Lynch, described students who have stopped coming to school, who arrived shaken after enforcement actions near their homes and who have missed class because caregivers were detained. Blumink said a district email and links on the website "are not enough" and urged leadership to translate commitments in its proclamation into actionable supports that staff and families can use.

CEA-affiliated speaker Drew Rosa, who also addressed bargaining and compensation issues, said educators have been organizing and providing practical supports—walking-school buses, food boxes and informal casework—because they perceive district action as insufficient. "Our community is in crisis," Rosa said, urging the board to act "with real preparation to protect and support families."

Why it matters: Witnesses said the activity affects student attendance, emotional wellbeing and family stability, and asked the board to move beyond statements to trainings, workshops and resources that are operational and immediate.

What the board said or did: Board members did not debate the specific proposals during public comment. The board proceeded to its regular business and later reviewed items including grant agreements and appointments. The district presenter later told the board that those who could not speak did not want to comment on the Student Investment Account item, but the board did not announce specific follow-up steps tied to the immigration-enforcement concerns during the meeting.

Next steps: Speakers asked the district to coordinate with community partners and bargaining teams; no formal board motion addressing the speakers' requests was recorded at the meeting.