Student absences at schools in the New Orleans region spiked last week as U.S. Border Patrol agents launched sweeps in the area, with teachers saying that some parents in immigrant communities are keeping kids home out of fear of what might happen if they venture out.
In the Jefferson Parish school system, which educates more Hispanic students than any other Louisiana district, attendance fell at most schools with large shares of students still learning English — a group that includes many immigrants. Data from the first half of last week provided by the district showed that 16 of the 20 schools with the most English learners had attendance rates below that of the broader district, and students and teachers said absences appeared to be higher on Thursday and Friday, after sweeps began.
At four charter school operators in New Orleans that provided data on school attendance, and which educate approximately 6,500 students, more than 1 in 5 students did not show up to school on Thursday and Friday after the Borden Patrol operation started, putting the attendance rate below 80% at those networks. Typical attendance rates are above 90%. At a fifth network, attendance fell below 90%.
While an exact count of the number of students who missed school was not available, Sharon Latten Clark, a state Board of Education member who also leads Sophie B. Wright High School in New Orleans, said during a state board meeting Tuesday that attendance has been down by about 15% across schools in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish…