EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:
As President Donald Trump stokes fear of immigrant imprisonment and surveillance, many K-12 schools have set out to assure parents their campuses are safe from immigrant enforcement.
Based on data collected by the Associated Press, Hechinger Report and AL.com from 16 districts across 9 states, that approach appears to be working. Attendance declined for several weeks after the inauguration, but in most places it rebounded quickly.
Still, the circumstances in communities vary, so be sure to check in with schools in your area. Moreover, as much as schools emphasize kids are safe in classrooms, they can’t control what happens off campus.
As AP, Hechinger Report and AL.com reporting reveals, it appears that Trump’s pressure campaign on immigrants — along with the incentives he's offering for them to leave, including $1,000 and transportation — may be persuading many families to self-deport. Those departures, along with fewer new immigrants coming across the border into the U.S., could devastate the finances of schools that have historically served large immigrant populations.
READ AP'S COVERAGE:
After crossing the border for better schools, some parents are pulling their kids and leaving the US
DATA WE GOT
AP, Hechinger Report and AL.com reporters reached out to dozens of districts asking for attendance and withdrawal data. Many didn’t respond, but 16 did. Here is a map showing the responses we got from those 16 districts, and which districts were non-responsive. Hover over each district to learn key takeaways.
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Districts that provided data include: — Alabama: Albertville City Schools, Baldwin County Schools, Russellville City Schools, Shelby County Public Schools
— California: Fresno Unified School District
— Colorado: Denver Public Schools
— Idaho: West Ada School District, Boise School District, Nampa School District
— Massachusetts: Chelsea Public Schools, Worcester Public Schools,
— Oklahoma: Yukon Public Schools
— Texas: Dallas ISD, San Antonio ISD
— Utah: Alpine School District
— Washington: Othello School District
DATA TO LOOK FOR
— For attendance data, ask districts for statistics from the weeks during and since Trump's inauguration, as well as from the same period the year prior. Ask for the numbers to be broken down by demographic group, including by race, income and English-learner status. Also ask the district if the numbers can be broken down by building. In Denver, for example, attendance drops were pronounced at schools serving newcomers. Note that reporters may encounter challenges in gathering data. Dozens of districts didn't respond to our requests for attendance numbers, in some cases citing concerns about drawing the attention of immigration enforcement.
— School withdrawal data might be one of the best places to quantify immigrant departures, although there are many caveats. Districts track student withdrawals but tend to group together different types, including kids who transfer into private schools or another district. If you see an increase in withdrawals since the inauguration compared with the same period last year, speak with district officials or school building leaders to understand what’s happening. Principals — or their secretaries — often know who left and why.
— Reach out to the consulates in your area and ask if applications for passports or birth registrations have increased since last year. That could show that families are preparing to leave. Note that many immigrants have children who are U.S. citizens.
HOW TO FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE LEAVING OR CAN CONFIRM THE TRENDS
— Look for companies that might be helping families leave. This could be a company that specializes in shipping to a specific country or someone who helps process passports for nationals from a country that sends lots of immigrants to your area.
— Stand outside the closest consulates serving your area and talk to people about what they’re hearing. Do they know people who are planning to leave? What do they think? Is it worth staying? People with young children are a good bet since they are likely getting passports for American-born kids, which would be necessary if they need to return to their countries.
— Check TikTok and other social media platforms for immigrants posting videos about their plans to leave the United States or narrating their journeys home. Oftentimes many other immigrants post questions in comments showing their own interest in leaving.
— Reach out to churches, volunteer groups, community organizations and lawyers to meet immigrants in your area with concerns about Trump's deportation agenda and what it means for them.
QUESTIONS TO ASK AND STORIES TO PURSUE
— Are there immigrant children in your district who are still in the area and enrolled in school but not attending anymore? And what have schools done to reach them?
— Are parents leaving behind older students so they can finish up school? How are those young people and their schools coping?
— Are immigrant students enrolling in summer school? How do those numbers compare with summer school enrollment data in years past? This could be an early sign of enrollment declines and something to watch.
— Are schools making any staffing decisions or other cuts in anticipation of declining immigrant enrollment in the fall?
— Immigrant students may be attending school, but are they really present and participating? Or are they too anxious and distracted to learn?
— Are districts allowing virtual instruction or other flexibility to students who don’t want to attend class in person?
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Localize It is a resource produced regularly by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Katie Oyan at koyan@ap.org.
Students raise their hands to be called on by second grade math teacher Johanna Correa at Place Bridge Academy, May 20, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Rebecca Slezak)
