Hamilton County Schools Principal Association statement regarding student demographic information

The following is a statement from the Hamilton County Schools Principal Association regarding House Bill 793, which would require school districts to provide that demographic information to the Tennessee Department of Education.

The statement is as follows:

To Whom It May Concern,

As public-school principals serving the students and families of Hamilton County, we write today with a unified voice, one grounded in our daily work, our professional responsibility, and our unwavering belief in the promise of public education.

We strongly and without hesitation oppose the proposed bill requiring schools to document the citizenship status of students and their families.

Every day, we open our doors to children from all walks of life. They come to us as they are, eager to grow and to find a sense of belonging. Our schools are so much more than buildings. They are safe havens where children are nurtured, challenged, and inspired. They are places where hope is built, not barriers.

This bill contradicts the very foundation of public education in America.

The United States Supreme Court made this clear in Plyler v. Doe, affirming that no child shall be denied access to a free public education based on immigration status. This principle is not just a legal precedent.

It is a moral one.

The constitution makes it clear that schools cannot deny admission or enrollment based on immigration status. Schools cannot require students or parents to disclose immigration status. Educational institutions cannot make inquiries to expose a student’s immigration status. We cannot treat students differently to determine immigration status.

All of this reflects our nation’s commitment to fairness, opportunity, and the belief that education is a right, not a privilege.

To require schools to document immigration status is to place an unjust burden on children, holding them accountable for circumstances entirely beyond their control. It sends a disturbing message to families and creates fear where there should be trust. It creates walls where there should be open doors.

We know the impact policies like this can have. When children are afraid to come to school, learning suffers. When families feel unwelcome, communities fracture. When we compromise access to education, we compromise the future of our society.

This bill will not strengthen our schools or communities. It will harm them. It will not support children. It will isolate them. It will not move our communities forward. It will divide them and push them backward.

Public education means all children. Without exception. Without hesitation.

That is not just our job, it is our calling. It is our responsibility as educators and school leaders entrusted with the care and development of every child who walks through our doors. We do not discriminate. We do not separate. We do not deny.

We urge you to reject this bill.

Stand with us in protecting the rights, dignity, and futures of all students. Stand with us in preserving schools as places of safety, opportunity, and hope. Stand with us in upholding the values that define public education at its very best.

When we protect every child’s right to learn, we strengthen not only individual lives but the fabric of our society.

Respectfully and professionally,

The Hamilton County Principals Association

Rashaad Williams, President

Jill Levine, Vice-President

Jesse Goins, Treasurer

Jamelie Johns, Secretary

Greg Wilkey, Parliamentarian