SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Some students in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) stayed home from school on Monday as part of “A Day Without Immigrants.” Across the country, many people chose not to work or attend school as a way to show the impact of the immigrant community on the economy.
In South Lake Tahoe, there were a few hundred kids who didn’t attend school Monday with some schools having a 22 percent absenteeism rate. The overall attendance rate for LTUSD was 86.5 percent, which is well below its daily target rate of 95 percent.
With about 3,900 students, approximately 525 kids were missing from school on Monday, February 3.
LTUSD Superintendent Dr. Todd Cutler said they want kids in the classrooms, and not because of the funding the district gets from daily attendance. “They missed learning,” said Cutler, “and that is important.”
“Today was a symbolic day,” said Cutler. “Kids need to feel safe and secure in our schools.”
This point was also one Jodi Dayberry made. Dayberry, who is the Community Schools liaison at Tahoe Valley Elementary and president of the South Tahoe Educators Association, stressed that kids are scared.
“Teachers have that students have told them they may not be able to come to school all of the time,” said Dayberry. “The climate here now is causing fear.”
She was referring to an anti-immigrant post made on Facebook Saturday night. She said that added to the fear that was already in local Hispanic families.
“They are part of our community and come here for a better way of life,” said Dayberry. “They are our kitchen staff, cleaning people, those who serve our tourists. They are part of a thriving community.”
While some families may be in the United States legally, their extended family may not – grandparents, aunts, uncles – and that is disturbing to the children.
The fear and anxiety is palpable,” said Dayberry. “We’re coming out of COVID mental health issues, affordable housing issues, and then add this on top.”
“Kids cannot thrive when thinking of how to survive,” added Dayberry.
The school district will be working on giving staff talking points on how to speak to the students, and to help parents with “the talk” of immigration and hate. They’ll learn how to address the topics when they come up in the classroom.
The key for families is to know is that schools are a safe place, and for them to know LTUSD won’t let any immigration staff have access to the kids if they show up.
“We will adjust and adapt with our families, and show that the best place for our kids is at school,” said Dayberry.