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Los Angeles Times
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Apodaca: How will immigration raids impact kids and schools?
School is starting Monday at Santa Ana Unified School District. I'm sure that in most respects it will be the same as in times past. First-day jitters. Reconnecting with classmates. Meeting new teachers. Discovering what's in store for the upcoming year. But will there be one significant difference this time around? Will some of those classmates be missing — not because they're sick or because they've switched schools, but because their families are scared that they will be targeted by and become separated because of the immigration raids occurring in and around their community? This is not — forgive the pun — merely an academic question. It's a real-world problem that isn't getting as much attention amid the widespread coverage of intensified immigration enforcement. Yet the consequences for districts like Santa Ana Unified that have large numbers of immigrant families — and for their students — could be profound. Indeed, evidence is accumulating that the immigration crackdown is significantly impacting school-age kids. For instance, a study released in June by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research found a 22% increase in student absences in January and February, compared to the same period a year earlier, in California's Central Valley, a region with a large immigrant population. Researchers and other observers indicated that, in addition to learning losses due to less instruction time, these absences have other serious implications, including broader developmental harm, a loss of other critical school-based services, and greater levels of anxiety and depression. The absences could also impact more than just the missing students by creating a more stressful environment for teachers struggling to keep lesson plans on track, and a disruptive learning environment for other students from non-immigrant families. That's the last thing our hard-pressed schools need right now. Public schools throughout Orange County and the state are already grappling with many other intractable issues, including lingering pandemic-era learning losses and mental health concerns, higher levels of chronic absenteeism, declining enrollment, and the end of federal COVID relief funds. Santa Ana Unified is one of the districts that have been hit hard by decreasing enrollment. After peaking at 63,610 in the early 2000s, its student population has ramped steadily downward, to just over 36,000 in the last school year. Further declines are expected, largely due to demographic changes. In California, funding for most school districts is tied to average daily attendance, so those declines could lead to more financial woes in a district like Santa Ana Unified, which has already been dealing with a budget shortfall and layoffs. Now the potential for a spike in absenteeism because of the immigration raids must feel like a piling on to these problems. At its meeting last month Santa Ana Unified's board of education adopted a resolution affirming support for immigrant families. It stated that the 'recent immigration enforcement actions have caused fear, trauma, and disruption among SAUSD students and families, including those with undocumented or mixed-status backgrounds,' and that it was 'committed to providing all students with access to a safe, inclusive and welcoming educational environment.' The resolution further said the immigration crackdown can erode trust, discourage student attendance and compromise public safety. Therefore, it stated, the district was committed to providing a 'safe zone' for students and their families, and that no ICE agents or other immigration enforcement personnel would be allowed on school property 'without valid, properly reviewed documentation and legal authority.' In an emailed response to my questions, Santa Ana Unified spokesperson Josie Amador said there was no noticeable impact on attendance at the end of the last school year, but when immigration enforcement kicked up during the district's summer session some students stopped coming. Parents have been expressing concerns, but it's too early to tell how the 2025-26 school year will be affected, she stated. So far, the confirmations of planned attendance are holding up, but the district is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to provide resources and options to families as needed. 'When students are not in school, they miss access to not only crucial learning but also to critical support,' she wrote. 'Many students are already dealing with trauma. Every SAUSD school has counselors ready to help, and our support services teams are trained to respond.' 'Our approach is guided by a simple but powerful belief: Every student and every family should feel safe and supported in our schools.' As Amador stated, it's too soon to tell what will happen with attendance this school year, even with the district's clear commitment to do what it can to help. As the immigration crackdown escalates, so too do worries about the impact. It seems crazy to suggest that kids might stay home because Mom or Dad might be taken away while they're at school, yet this is a real possibility. And even if the students do attend school as usual, will they even be able to concentrate on learning when they feel the constant strain of knowing their families are at risk? So I offer my approach, also guided by a simple but powerful belief: If children are hurt by governmental actions, it's unequivocal evidence that the policy is misguided and needs to change. Kids are innocent actors in all this. That's something that bears remembering.
Los Angeles Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Apodaca: California population decline reveals harsh reality for education funding
The decline in K-12 public school enrollment across California, as predicted, is forcing many school districts to make some painful decisions. We saw an example of this recently, when Santa Ana Unified School District, facing a $154-million budget deficit and 28% fewer students than a decade ago, announced it would lay off about 262 employees, including teachers, counselors and other staff members. Decreasing enrollment isn't the only reason for Santa Ana Unified's budgetary bind. Most acutely, as with other districts, it is grappling with the loss of federal COVID bailout funds, which ended last fall. Still, there's no question that the steady loss of public school students is putting Santa Ana Unified, and most districts throughout California, in a tough place financially. Public schools are funded through a mix of federal, state and local money, but in California the state by far accounts for the largest share of education dollars. Those state funds come from income taxes, property taxes and sales taxes, and a relatively tiny proportion from the state lottery. The number of students in a district influence how much state funding it receives. That's why enrollment losses often lead to reductions in the amount of money allocated to each district by the state. The picture can get a bit complicated, though. Under California's Local Control Funding Formula, which began in the 2013-2014 school year, some districts throughout the state receive additional funds if it's determined that they have a large share of 'high needs' students. And a small number of the state's public school districts are so-called 'Basic Aid,' or 'Community Funded' districts, meaning that the revenue collected from local property taxes is more than sufficient to cover the districts' expenses; therefore, they don't rely on state aid. Newport-Mesa Unified School District, for example, is a Basic Aid district. Despite such exceptions, however, most districts are struggling with the financial pressures tied to declining enrollment. Last fall, the state Department of Finance reported that the number of public school students had fallen for the seventh straight year. There are many reasons behind the slide. Enrollment took a big hit during the COVID pandemic, and some students never returned. Some moved out of state, while others migrated to private education or homeschooling. California's high cost of living — particularly the state's stratospheric housing costs — are cited as a contributing factor. And critics from both the right and left of the political spectrum have taken aim at what they see as misguided priorities, both financial and social. But the biggest factor, many analysts say, is declining birth rates, which have steadily fallen in the United States over the last 15 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the total national fertility rate was 1.6 children per woman, far below the 2.1 rate needed to naturally maintain the population. Simply put, that means we have fewer kids entering, or who will enter, our schools. Some experts have referred to this as 'a demographic cliff.' Growing enrollment in transitional kindergarten is mitigating the overall declines in enrollment numbers, at least somewhat. But the long-term picture isn't great. The state Finance Department projects that in the coming decade 'if current trends in fertility and migration hold,' total enrollment will fall further. The federal government projected California will lose another one million public school students by 2031. The hits will affect different schools and their districts in different ways, and each one will have to navigate a path forward to maintain solvency without, hopefully, sacrificing educational goals. It won't be easy. Last year, Anaheim Union High School District announced plans to lay off more than 100 teachers amid plummeting enrollment, but it later backtracked and instead made other cutbacks. Other districts throughout Orange County are also considering closing schools or consolidating campuses. For instance, Saddleback Valley Unified School District plans to close San Joaquin Elementary this year, and Anaheim Union High School District is closing Orangeview Junior High and shifting the middle school students to Western High School. In announcing its plan to jettison some employees, Santa Ana Unified Supt. Jerry Almendarez said in a statement, 'Staffing adjustments are part of a long-term strategy to align our resources with student enrollment trends and financial realities.' That rather dry statement doesn't mask the harsh reality that district administrators and school boards are increasingly faced with excruciating choices. It's terrible that valued teachers are being laid off, and parents are understandably upset at the prospect of losing their beloved community schools. The uncertainty and disruption alone are difficult to cope with. Unfortunately, we must brace ourselves because we're sure to see more tough times for public schools in the coming years. More strained budgets, more layoffs, more school closures. In a perfect world, all of our public schools would be assured of a steady, predictable and sufficient level of funding to ensure that all students have access to a quality education. But that's not the world we live in, and the impact of population changes provides us with a stark reminder of that fact.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- The Independent
Police say 2 students turned themselves in after fatal stabbing outside California high school
Two high school students have turned themselves in to police in connection with a fatal stabbing in front of a Southern California high school, authorities said. Santa Ana Police Officer Natalie Garcia said the 15-year-old and 17-year-old boys came forward hours after the Wednesday afternoon attack that killed one student and wounded two others. Garcia could not confirm arrests have been made. She said there are no other suspects believed to have been involved in the violence at Santa Ana High School. 'The entire stabbing appears to be gang related,' Garcia said. The stabbing happened in the afternoon as students were leaving school for the day. Fermin Leal, a spokesperson for Santa Ana Unified, said it was not immediately clear what prompted the fight that killed a 14-year-old boy. After-school programs and athletics were canceled Wednesday. School was scheduled to resume Thursday, and crisis counselors were available on campus, Leal said. The school serves about 3,000 students in the city of Santa Ana, which is home to 300,000 people 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Associated Press
Police say 2 students turned themselves in after fatal stabbing outside California high school
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Two high school students have turned themselves in to police in connection with a fatal stabbing in front of a Southern California high school, authorities said. Santa Ana Police Officer Natalie Garcia said the 15-year-old and 17-year-old boys came forward hours after the Wednesday afternoon attack that killed one student and wounded two others. Garcia could not confirm arrests have been made. She said there are no other suspects believed to have been involved in the violence at Santa Ana High School. 'The entire stabbing appears to be gang related,' Garcia said. The stabbing happened in the afternoon as students were leaving school for the day. Fermin Leal, a spokesperson for Santa Ana Unified, said it was not immediately clear what prompted the fight that killed a 14-year-old boy. After-school programs and athletics were canceled Wednesday. School was scheduled to resume Thursday, and crisis counselors were available on campus, Leal said. The school serves about 3,000 students in the city of Santa Ana, which is home to 300,000 people 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
1 student killed, 2 wounded in stabbing outside southern California high school
May 8 (UPI) -- One student is dead and two others were hospitalized following stabbing outside a southern California high school, according to authorities who are hunting for two suspects. Police were notified of the stabbing in front of Santa Ana High School at about 3:25 p.m. PDT Wednesday, the Santa Ana Police Department said in a statement. The victims have been identified has teenage boys. The deceased victim was 14 years old, authorities said. All three were transported to local hospitals, two in stable condition. A third victim, who was transported to a hospital in critical condition, succumbed to his injuries not long afer, authorities said. "The wounds on the victims were stab wounds, so we believe that the weapon used was a knife," Santa Ana police officer Natalie Garcia told reporters during a press conference. She said police are searching for two suspects who fled the scene on foot. She described them as Hispanic males who may also be students at the school or at another nearby institution. School police told authorities that the stabbing could be gang related, she added. The Santa Ana Unified School District said the stabbing occurred shortly after the dismissal of students. "Our thoughts are with the family of the student who passed and with all those impacted by this senseless act of violence," it said in a statement. On Thursday, there will be an increased police presence at the school and crisis counselors will be made available for area students who may require such services. "We are committed to providing a safe, caring and supportive environment for all students and staff," Santa Ana USD said.
