Orange County students returned to class in August amid anxiety over summer immigration enforcement, but school districts are saying attendance has largely remained steady.
In Santa Ana, district officials reported that total enrollment and average daily attendance remain consistent with last year, in the mid 90% range.
“Total enrollment has remained steady since the school year began. We have about 34,500 students enrolled,” said Fermin Leal, spokesperson for the Santa Ana Unified School District. “So far we have not seen a noticeable impact to daily attendance that we can attribute to any immigration enforcement activity.”
Leal added that the district’s virtual academy has not seen significant enrollment changes, either. He said about 240 students were already enrolled when the year began, and that number has remained steady. That figure is in line with the 200 to 300 students the program typically serves in a regular school year, officials said.
“We’ve seen a slight decline from last year, but that was already expected with the declining enrollment that our school districts and across the state are experiencing. In regards to immigration, not so much,” said Valerie Magdaleno, Santa Ana Unified trustee. “Our students and families feel safe coming to schools and we’ve emphasized that we are a safe and welcoming school site.”
Magdaleno added that the district’s family and community engagement liaisons have been key to reassuring families. But some remain wary about leaving the city, she said.
“They’d rather not leave the city in case something happens, for example, if a kid has a soccer tournament out of the city, they won’t go, and so that’s still unfortunate to hear,” she said.
Families are also increasingly requesting mental health workshops, Magdaleno said.
Los Alamitos Unified reported no major changes in student attendance.
“We haven’t seen any impacts here in Los Alamitos, fortunately. Everything is on par for other things we see throughout the year,” said spokesperson Nichole Pichardo.
Other districts across the county reported similarly stable patterns in attendance.
“We have neither seen any notable changes in our enrollment in our virtual academy nor attendance patterns,” Orange Unified spokesperson Hana Brake said.
Capistrano Unified officials said attendance remains steady and the district’s FLEX program, which offers both hybrid and fully online options, has remained consistent with about 45 students.
“We have not seen any changes to attendance and our virtual program has remained consistent as far as enrollment,” spokesperson Ryan Burris said.
Irvine Unified reported a slight decrease in enrollment, primarily in kindergarten, but district officials do not attribute the change to immigration enforcement.
Annie Brown, the district’s spokesperson, noted that enrollment fluctuates throughout the school year, and that detailed district enrollment numbers will be finalized by the end of October.
Brown added that the Irvine Virtual Academy has not seen a meaningful increase in enrollment beyond four additional middle school students.
“We do not have information to indicate immigration is related” to the slight drop in enrollment or the small increase in virtual academy participation, she said.
California recently passed legislation establishing new rules in schools regarding immigration enforcement.
Assembly Bill 49 bars U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from entering schools or childcare facilities without showing proper ID and a judicial warrant, and prevents districts from sharing personal information about students, staff or families with immigration authorities. Senate Bill 98 requires schools to issue alerts if immigration enforcement officials show up on campus.
Both measures took effect immediately after being signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
School districts across the county have also implemented various strategies to reassure families and support students affected by fear or trauma. In Garden Grove, the district set up a family helpline over the summer and expanded bus service in neighborhoods impacted by immigration enforcement.
In Santa Ana, Leal said the district offers monthly virtual “know your rights” workshops, and teachers and counselors have been trained to answer questions on immigration and connect families with resources. Magdaleno said the district is also continuing to provide legal assistance and food distribution.
“The key message is for our families to know that our schools are safe havens,” Leal said. “We’re doing everything possible to ensure that while students are in school there’s no disruptions, there’s no kind of fear of immigration. We want to make sure our schools are among the safest places for students and for learning.”
Originally Published:
