D91 so far has enrolled in only two migrant students who have arrived from the Texas border to Forest Park.
According to Nurys Uceta-Ramos, director of engagement for the district, D91 also has five families of migrants who have previously come to Forest Park through other avenues.
“Because Forest Park currently does not have sheltering options or any kind of temporary living situations for the migrants that are coming in, that is why we are not seeing an influx in our school district in particular,” Uceta-Ramos said. “From my understanding, the Village is directing families to the shelters in the city of Chicago.”
The district can enroll only students who are staying within the boundaries of the Forest Park community, Uceta-Ramos said.
All migrant families who are enrolled in the district have permanent housing.
One migrant family was able to enroll their child in kindergarten through his father’s employer, who lent the family a helping hand and rented to them.
“Because of their situation, a lot of people aren’t renting to them,” Uceta-Ramos said. “If they have jobs, if they have the means to get a place, they are being discriminated against for rentals. So, we are counting on good Samaritans and landlords that are willing to rent to people who have different migration status.”
Following the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a federal legislation that ensures educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness, anyone who is residing in the village can enroll their child in school.
“This also applies to any unhoused or students who are in temporary living situations,” Uceta-Ramos said. “It can also mean staying with a family member one day, another day goes to a shelter, goes to a motel, staying with a family member. Transitional living. The same policies apply to the migrant families.”
Since the district hasn’t seen multiple migrant students enroll, no major adjustments have been made, as D91 already had dedicated English language/emergent bilingual educators in each school.
“They support those students, helping them with basic English acquisition skills and understanding the culture,” Uceta-Ramos said. “Our teachers are really fabulous in terms of connecting with families and providing them with resources, going above and beyond to make sure they understand the structure and the place within the Forest Park community and the United States in general.”
The district has also been using Google Translate to ensure proper communication and as well as their other technology which was already available in Spanish.
The adjustments have been fairly easy, said Uceta-Ramos, while also acknowledging that it still has been a shift as teachers and administrators are attending meetings and speaking with colleagues from other districts to see what they are doing in case a large influx of students does happen in the future.
However, Uceta-Ramos said ultimately village policy plays a large role on whether migrants will stay in Forest Park.
On Monday, the village adopted an ordinance putting restrictions on buses, and Mayor Rory Hopkins said they are coordinating with the City of Chicago and neighboring suburbs to transport migrants to Chicago drop-off centers.
This comes after two busloads of asylum-seekers were dropped off at the Blue Line Forest Park terminal in December: once on Dec. 15 and then again on Dec. 30.
According to reports, in November, the village staff put a policy in place that called for stranded migrants to be transported by Pace to the Salvation Army facilities for emergency shelter. The ordinance was approved Jan. 8 and called for buses who are dropping off migrants in Forest Park to file an application prior to their arrival.
Community connections will also play a role. This can happen through various avenues, including renting to migrants, staying with Forest Park family members, and if others are willing to house them.
“It is very much contingent on the residents of Forest Park and how they are able to support,” she said. “If they are not staying in our community then they are not able to come to our schools. Our educational funds and our resources are for people who are within the Forest Park community.”
Other limitations, such as the lack of affordable housing within the community will also be a factor as Uceta-Ramos said many residents and those who wish to move to Forest Park are already struggling with this.
However, the doors of the district will remain open to migrant students should they be able to stay in the community.