Oregon Schools Now Alert Guardians to Officers
Families in Eugene, Springfield and Bethel will be notified by email or ParentSquare when immigration officers are on campus.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Administration
Live Poll
Should schools be required to notify families when immigration officers come onto campus?
Eugene School District 4J, Springfield Public Schools and Bethel School District adopted policies in September 2026 requiring notification to school communities when federal immigration officers are on school grounds.
Why it matters
The policies were adopted to meet Oregon House Bill 4079, passed in March 2026, which requires districts and public higher education entities to adopt immigration enforcement policies by Sept. 30. For Oregon families, the rules set how and when guardians learn about enforcement activity near their children's schools.
Each district requires an administrator to confirm officers' identities before sending a notification, and notices go to guardians by email or through the ParentSquare app. Students are told directly starting in grade six in 4J, grade seven in Springfield, and grade nine in Bethel.
The players
Eugene School District 4J
A large public school district in Eugene, Oregon, whose board adopted the immigration notification policy.
Springfield Public Schools
The public school district serving Springfield, Oregon, which adopted a standardized immigration-response policy for all schools.
Bethel School District
The public school district serving the Bethel area near Eugene, Oregon, which adopted its policy after an arrest near Prairie Mountain School.
The details
If a staff member sees immigration officers on school grounds, an administrator or office coordinator contacts the district office, where a district administrator confirms identities, reviews and documents information, and may consult legal counsel. Under the policies, administrative warrants are not valid for sharing student or staff information, and designated administrators need a warrant, subpoena or court order signed by a judge before sharing information that assists enforcement. Staff cannot confirm a person's presence, grant access to nonpublic areas, or consent to custody of students or staff.
Timeline
March 2026: Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4079.
Sept. 2, 2026: 4J's chief of staff spoke about the policy at a school board meeting.
Sept. 9, 2026: Bethel's superintendent described an arrest in front of Prairie Mountain School.
Sept. 30, 2026: State deadline for districts to adopt immigration enforcement policies.
September 2026: Eugene, Springfield and Bethel districts passed their policies.
The Home Front
The district policies are a direct product of House Bill 4079, which set a Sept. 30 deadline for districts and public higher education entities to adopt enforcement rules. They put school notification procedures into place across three Lane County districts in the same month.
If you have a child in a district that has adopted one of these policies, check how your district notifies guardians, whether by email or ParentSquare, and confirm your contact details are current. Ask the school office what the staff procedure is if officers arrive on campus, so you know who to call.
The takeaway
Oregon families now have a clearer picture of how their school district will communicate about immigration enforcement near campus. Confirm your guardian contact information with your child's school this month so notices reach you.
Further reading
For more on how districts run their offices and policies, explore Administration coverage on We are Home.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Lookout Eugene-Springfield.
Live Poll
Should schools be required to notify families when immigration officers come onto campus?
