As the federal government began enforcing more stringent public charge rules on Feb. 24, administrators in California were spreading the word that using school services will not affect immigrant families. According to the California Department of Education, public education and its services — including free and reduced school meals — don’t fall under the umbrella of the rule that makes it more difficult for immigrants to earn a visa or permanent residency if they are deemed likely to rely on government assistance.  Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said programs that are not affected by the public charge rule include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Seamless Summer Option, Afterschool Meal Supplement, Special Milk Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program. Terri Rufert, superintendent of Sundale Union Elementary School District in Tulare, said she and other staff at the small district have implemented plans to educate parents on the rule. Though Rufert said she doesn’t have a large undocumented population in her district, there are parents who stay in the country on visas. “We’ve had to explain it, and our parents trust us,” Rufert said. She added that some parents still fear they will be deported, and she thinks that fear will impact the Census 2020 counting in the district.

“Even though there’s no citizenship question, they fear they will be targeted, detained or kicked back for not having papers,” she said. Her district has planned an informational meeting for parents and has also discussed the public charge rule and the Census with teachers. “I just had a meeting with my teachers to inform them, so when they have parent-teacher conferences, they would be able to answer the questions,” Rufert said. “I’ve printed out information on the Census and on the law.” California has made available resource pages and contacts for districts to learn more about the public charge rule and its effect on students and families. The Department of Social Services has a list of organizations that can provide public-charge-related assistance for immigrant families on its website, .  Thurmond has also announced that the California Department of Education is collecting stories from affected families and districts to share with policymakers. Those who want to share such anecdotes with the department can contact Kim Frinzell, director of the Department of Education’s Nutrition Services Division, by phone at 916-322-1566 or by emailing . With kindergarten enrollment occurring this month, Rufert said it’s even more important for all school staff to be well-versed on public charge and Census counting so they can inform parents as best as possible. “We have an instructional aide meeting with classified employees, like bus drivers,” she said. “Everyone’s speaking the same language, from our board all the way down.”