The Richmond School Board unanimously approved new policies and resolutions aimed at protecting immigrant students during Tuesday night’s meeting.

Before the budget public hearing, Chairwoman Shavonda Fernandez, 8th District, read a resolution affirming students’ right to access education and privacy protections from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

This followed President Donald Trump’s Jan. 21 decision to lift a policy that had restricted ICE from conducting raids in sensitive areas, including schools. Superintendent Jason Kamras assured the community on Jan. 27 that RPS immigrant students would remain protected, regardless of their status.

Additionally, RPS Ombudsman Victoria Gochez presented an updated immigration policy outlining staff training on handling federal immigration law enforcement. The revised policy further restricts ICE from entering school grounds and requires compliance with school division policies.

Fernandez expressed her gratitude to Gochez and her team for their responsiveness.

“Thank you for being proactive, and not reactive to the federal mandates that were brought down,” Fernandez said. “These are unprecedented times, but with the commitment that we have with our fellow colleagues in [the RPS] administration, I have no doubt that we will ride and wait.”

In another matter, the School Board also approved sign-on bonuses in an 8–1 vote to attract new hires and encourage returning teachers for the upcoming school year.

Kamras outlined the bonuses full-time teachers will receive for the 2025-2026 academic year, allocating $3.35 million to the FY26 budget — an increase of $2.6 million from the previous year. The incentive plan was amended to prioritize staffing at schools with the highest vacancies.

Teachers who sign their offer letter before June 1 for the 2025-2026 academic year will receive a $7,500 early commitment signing bonus but must agree to a three-year contract with RPS. Returning preschool teachers in hard-to-staff positions will receive a $2,500 retention bonus with a required one-year commitment.