The school board for the Belfast area district declined to pursue cybersecurity grants after public pushback to requirements that would allow students’ citizenship or immigration status to be shared with the federal government.
Nine members of the public spoke at the RSU 71 board meeting Monday evening in opposition to the two grants, saying one of them has the potential to endanger students’ safety.
Following public comment, the school board agreed to not pursue the grants, which would have been used to increase the cybersecurity throughout the school system, including alerting staff to emergencies and cyberattacks taking place. RSU 71 serves the communities of Belfast, Morrill, Searsmont and Swanville.
Under the terms of the grants from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, state or local governmental entities would not be allowed to restrict school officials from exchanging information about anyone’s citizenship or immigration status with Homeland Security or other federal, state or local government entities.
Several members of the public said those requirements would put the safety of students at risk, a reference to the actions of President Donald Trump, who promised mass deportations as a candidate and has ramped up arrests of immigrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Following Trump’s inauguration, Maine superintendents raised concerns that immigrant enforcement agents could begin arresting students at school.
Board member Laura Baker said if the district believes cybersecurity is important, it should fund it through its budget, not through this particular grant, which was referred to by chair Ryan Otis as a “last-minute addition to the agenda.”
“We should not sign on to something to get money to have cybersecurity. I think it’s absolutely wrong,” Baker said.
Belfast resident Greg Morley, who said both his sons attended middle and high school in the district, told board members that he opposed applying for the grants because he’s concerned that the Trump administration has “shown its disregard for individuals involved in the immigration program.”
“RSU 71 should not find itself beholden to DHS or ICE for any reason,” he said. “It will undermine the trust that kids have in the school system to protect them and keep them safe.”
Chrissy Fowler, another Belfast resident who opposed pursuing the grants, said she didn’t believe it would be in the best interest of supporting students and their families. She said she hoped the district would look at other funding opportunities that “might not be in such conflict with children’s and families’ real needs.”
