It’s been 25 years since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that undocumented immigrants can’t be denied a public school education. Yet some Illinois immigrants are still having trouble enrolling their kids.

Chicago Public Radio’s Chip Mitchell reports.

**

Illinois law codifies the Supreme Court decision. And a new state administrative rule bars school districts from inquiring about a student’s immigration status.

But school officials in North Chicago balked last week when a resident of the suburb tried to register one of her children for Neal Math Science Academy.

MEZA: They contacted immigration, something they have no business doing.

Ricardo Meza is regional counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

MEZA: And, Number 2, they handed this parent a document from a Web site of an anti-immigrant type of organization. 

The district eventually enrolled the child. But Deputy Superintendent Lauri Hakanen says there’s no policy barring personnel from calling immigration on students or parents.

The Illinois Board of Education says it’s reviewing North Chicago’s enrollment policies. The board briefly stripped state funding from Elmwood Park schools last year for turning away an undocumented immigrant.

I’m Chip Mitchell, Chicago Public Radio.