'We miss you': Austin ISD campus posts emotional video, says fewer students coming to school recently
AUSTIN (KXAN)—In a video posted on January 4, the principal of an Austin Independent School District campus said staff has noticed fewer students coming to school.
“We’ve recently noticed more empty desks in our classrooms, and we want to remind you, we miss you,” Keith Moore, the principal of Campbell Elementary said.
Another staff member in the video added, “…if school is a part of your daily routine, come back.”
All of this comes, as the district has tried to stay transparent with families as they work through changing federal and state policies.
The Trump Administration has promised more deportations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state will help.
It’s left districts like Austin ISD, with predominately Hispanic student populations, trying to keep up.
“Our leadership team will stay on top of any policies that may affect our district and will share details if there is an impact to our services,” AISD Superintendent Matias Segura said in a video posted on the district’s Facebook page.
While AISD hasn’t shared specifics on how much attendance has dropped, compared to previous years, it did tell KXAN some absences could be because of kids out sick, tied to flu season.
However, a spokesperson with the district said there’s a real fear in their community related to family separation, causing some families to keep their kids home from school.
AISD also recently issued guidance to staff about how they should handle situations if federal immigration enforcement shows up on campuses.
This comes after President Trump did away with a decades-old policy preventing agents from making arrests at schools, hospitals, and churches.
