Leon schools chief: 'Significant decrease' in attendance during immigrant strike this week
The nationwide 24-hour strike known as "A Day Without Immigrants" blacked out a number of businesses and workplaces Monday as immigrants sat home to protest immigration crackdowns and deportation policies enacted under the Trump administration.
Not only did some businesses cease operations, especially restaurants, but some Leon County schools also felt the impact.
"I had our folks look at the attendance rates of our (English Language Learners) ELL students yesterday and there was a significant decrease in student attendance. Especially with our Hispanic students," Superintendent Rocky Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat Tuesday.
The Fort Braden School (K-8), Griffin Middle School and Godby High schools have the highest populations of ELL students who identify as Hispanic in the district.
On Monday, 57% of the students were missing from Fort Braden, 51% were missing at Griffin, and 62% were missing at Godby.
Hanna said "ICE anxiety" had no impact on attendance last week when rhetoric surrounding the matter placed parents on high alert that students could be pulled from class. On Tuesday, he said, enrollment numbers went back to averaging over 90%, meaning Monday's absences were mostly on par with the national movement.
"If any agents show up on campus our Office of Safety and Security is to be notified immediately, and I will be notified immediately, and we will go to the site to ensure that whatever agents are on campus have all of the required court documents to take any action that they are requesting," Hanna said.
"Short of that, they will not gain access to our students or to our campuses."
Florida's education department has said it will comply with a new federal directive to allow immigration enforcement into schools. The Trump administration rescinded a rule that created "protected areas" from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Biden-era guidance that blocked ICE from schools, places of worship and health care facilities.
"Florida schools will cooperate with all law enforcement working to enforce the nation's laws on illegal immigration and keep our schools safe," Sydney Booker, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education, told the USA TODAY Network – Florida.
She did not respond directly to a question asking if that meant allowing immigration agents on public school grounds, including for ICE raids.
This story contains previously published material. Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.
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