On Aug. 22, the New Jersey Department of Education issued a memorandum reminding districts of their obligations to enroll immigrant students.
The NJDOE noted that the U.S. Supreme Court, in Plyler v. Doe, determined that undocumented children living in the United States cannot be excluded from public elementary and secondary schools based upon their immigration status.
Further, state regulations prohibit school districts from implementing discriminatory enrollment practices, intentionally or unintentionally, that may exclude children from enrolling in public school based upon their immigration status. These rules also prohibit the barring of any student from public elementary and secondary schools on the basis of immigration/visa status, except for students on F-1 visas.
School districts are required to enroll all students over five and under 20 years of age who are domiciled in the district or who are otherwise entitled to attend school. The full memorandum can be found here.
For further information on the enrollment of immigrant students, contact your Executive County Superintendent of Schools or the Office of Supplemental Educational Programs at (609) 376-9080 or via email here.