Under the current Donald Trump administration, certain segments of the population could come under attack and as a preemptive measure, the Burbank Unified School District’s meeting on Thursday night at city hall, and by a unanimous 5-0 vote that included President Dr. Armond Aghakhanian, Vice President Abby Pontzer Kamkar, Member Dr. Emily Weisberg, Member Charlene Tabet and Member Laurette Cano, adopted Resolution 21 which proclaims all students will have equal access to education, regardless of immigration status.
In light of the recent policy change which removes the Sensitive Locations Policy that previously prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from making arrests in schools, churches, and hospitals, the BUSD reaffirms its unwavering commitment to ensure that all students, regardless of immigration status have access to a safe and secure learning environment.
Superintendent Dr. John Paramo, who fully supports the resolution, said, “I want to give credit, where credit is due, and this was initiated by Dr. Oscar Macias.”
Macias is currently the interim assistant superintendent, instructional services.
Additionally, it’s important to note and emphasize that this policy change does not impact the students’ constitutional right to education or override state constitutional protections.
No student will be denied enrollment in BUSD due to their or their family’s immigration status.
In order to ensure that students and their families are informed and protected: 1) Communication has been sent to the BUSD community outlining their legal rights. 2) Declaration cards have been printed and are available for students and families who wish to carry them. These cards outline their rights, including the right not to answer questions, and can be presented to authorities if necessary. 3) Immigration agents will not be allowed on any BUSD school site without a valid warrant.
The BUSD wants to reassure students, their families, and staff that no child should come to school in fear, and no parent should fear for their child’s safety while pursuing their education.
By another 5-0 vote, the BUSD accepted the notice of completion of the Migration of the District-wide Video Surveillance System.
The district’s obligated for the final payment on a public improvement project. The district must pay a contractor all undisputed amounts within 60 days of project completion.
A 5-0 vote by the board also proclaimed that February 2025 be recognized as Black History Month, which celebrates achievements made by African Americans by recognizing the central role they played in this country’s history.
Initially known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” and was the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans.
Beginning in 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
Moreover, other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in this country.
That September, Harvard-educated historian Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.
Known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, who was a social reformer, abolitionist, writer, orator and statesman and the leading voice for African American civil rights in the 19th century.
The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organize local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures.
In the decades that followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing Negro History Week.
By the late 1960s, and because of the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of black identity, Negro History Week has evolved into Black History Month on many college and university campuses.
