As reports and rumors of immigration enforcements grow, Superintendent Ryan Scallon sent a letter to the PPS community on Jan. 20, 2026, stating that the district will continue to follow our protocols for keeping students and staff safe, while also staying focused on teaching and learning. He also said that, out of an abundance of caution, high schools will switch from having an "open campus" lunch to a "closed campus" lunch, effective Jan. 21 until further notice. This minimizes the chance of students being potentially caught up in enforcement actions as they move around the city on their own to buy lunch. Read the letter:

January 20, 2026

Dear Portland Public Schools Community:

This is an understandably tense time in our community, as reports and rumors of immigration enforcement actions grow. You may have heard that — out of an abundance of caution — school administrators at Deering High School and Lincoln Middle School put those schools into a brief lockout (external doors closed to people entering or leaving the school) shortly after 9 a.m. this morning, after learning of potential immigration enforcement activity on Brighton Avenue. It was quickly determined that there was no need to continue the lockout and they ended after approximately 15 minutes. Coincidentally, just before these lockouts were called, Longfellow Elementary School had cancelled their morning recess due to the cold weather, but that was unrelated to the immigration enforcement action (reminder that recess is moved indoors when the windchill is below 13 degrees).

We will continue to follow our protocols for keeping students and staff safe, while also staying focused on our core work of teaching and learning. At all of our high schools — again out of an abundance of caution — we will shift to having a closed campus at lunchtime starting tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, until further notice. The rationale behind this decision is to minimize the chance of students being potentially caught up in enforcement actions as they move around the city on their own to buy lunch. We are preparing to have extra school meals on hand, but students may also want to consider bringing their own lunch. Individual high schools will provide more information on what to expect regarding how the lunch period will be managed.

We continue to expect that our schools will not be the focus of immigration enforcement, but if there is action that impacts a school, we will communicate with families and staff as soon as possible. With that in mind, please remember that in any emergency, principals will first focus on safety. Communication will come, often with District support, as quickly as possible.

At this point, we still plan to hold school, off-site educational programming and field trips, recess, and related extracurricular activities as usual. If there are any changes to that plan, we will be sure to inform you as soon as possible.

I’ll include a reminder here again of important resources available to members of our community:

●      PPS Procedures on Non-Local Law Enforcement Actions

●      Immigration Enforcement in Maine (linked and attached) and “Know Your Rights” overview

●      Families, you may also find this resource helpful: Talking to Kids about Current Events

●      Another resource is: Talking to Kids About Immigration Enforcement in Their Communities

For those in our community who have asked how to support their neighbors, organizations such as The Immigration Legal Advocacy Project,  The Maine Solidarity Fund, and The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition provide support to local immigrant communities. The Foundation for Portland Public Schools and The Locker Project provide direct assistance to students and families in The Portland Public Schools. 

Thank you for your support and partnership as we work together to maintain safe and supportive learning environments for all of our students.

Sincerely,

Ryan Scallon, Ed.D.

Superintendent