Mass. schools boss: Immigration chill leading to ‘extended absences'
On Tuesday, state Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler devoted a portion of his regular report to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to recent clashes between Massachusetts elected officials and the federal government, including on K-12 school funding.
Although he did not offer specific data about a rise in students missing school, Tutwiler said some areas have seen a rise in absences amid reported concerns about immigration crackdowns.
'Federal actions around immigration are also a concern for many of our school communities, in some cases, resulting in extended absences for students,' he said. 'We are working with the attorney general's office and the state Office for Refugees and Immigrants to keep districts updated on policy changes that can impact immigrant status.'
Read More: Mass. schools boss defies Trump DEI edict: State will 'continue to promote diversity'
Some districts, like Lynn, reported significant increases in student absences early in President Donald Trump's second term, according to WBZ-TV in Boston.
Sen. Brendan Crighton, D-3rd Essex, spoke Monday about a Lynn high school student who was detained by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement and moved to Maine in January.
Though the student was released, Crighton said fear of a similar situation exists throughout the city's schools.
Tutwiler also recounted the Trump administration's move to rescind $106 million in federal funding from K-12 schools in Massachusetts, which Attorney General Andrea Campbell challenged in a lawsuit alongside more than a dozen other states.
Campbell joined another case last week over the U.S. Department of Education's threat to withhold dollars from state and local agencies over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in schools.
'We continue to push back against harmful federal funding cuts and policy changes that threaten the stability of our local school districts and well-being of our students and educators and here in Massachusetts,' Tutwiler said.
'We've said this before: We'll stay true to our department's educational vision of all students being known, valued and having the support that they need to succeed,' he said.
In a related matter, the majority-Democrat state House on Tuesday shot down a series of Republican-backed attempts to add significant immigration, housing and criminal justice policy changes to the fiscal year 2026 state budget.
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/massachusetts-schools-immigration-fears-absences/
Read the original article on MassLive.
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