CITY'S STUDENTS ABSENT IN DROVES DESPITE PLEAS TO STAY IN SCHOOL, 27 PERCENT FAIL TO SHOW.

Byline: NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN Staff Writer

Despite pleas from education and city leaders, more than 25 percent of Los Angeles Unified's secondary school students were absent Monday as hundreds of thousands of people rallied for immigration reform.

District officials could not say how many of the nearly 72,000 absences - 27 percent of sixth- to 12th-graders - were linked to the demonstrations, but noted that just 10 percent of middle and high school students were marked absent a year earlier.

The absences could cost the district more than $2.1 million in attendance-based state funding, more than double the amount lost in student walkouts held in late March to protest federal legislation that would crack down on illegal immigrants.

LAUSD officials plan to ask the state to restore some of the lost funding.

``Certainly, the impact is loss of education to a number of young people that to me is a critical loss and secondly, the district suffers financial loss as well,'' said Dan Isaacs, LAUSD's chief operating officer.

``One can argue it's a social experience and it's perhaps a learning experience being part of a political activity, but this is a time of (standardized) testing and I think the youngsters in school profited immensely by being in their classes.''

In advance of Monday's rallies, district Superintendent Roy Romer, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Cardinal Roger Mahony and state Superintendent Jack O'Connell urged students to stay in school and participate in late afternoon demonstrations.

But critics said the district failed to make Monday's classes sufficiently interesting and relevant to persuade students to attend class.

``Schools had a tremendous opportunity today to show the issues that are there with debates, assemblies and films, and I think most of them dropped the ball,'' said Sal Castro, coordinator of LAUSD's Chicano Youth Leadership Conferences Inc.

But educators say they incorporated immigration issues into their curriculum, informed students and heard their concerns.

San Fernando High Assistant Principal Kelly Welsh said forums, debates and instruction on current events introduced after walkouts in March brought students into the immigration discussion.

``The atmosphere here today is really good,'' Welsh said. ``A few kids said to me that they made their statement with the last walkouts and they didn't need to take part in this one.''

Officials estimate that 27,000 students participated in rallies on March 27; 11,000 on March 28; and 211 students on March 29.

According to district policy, students who walk out of class or fail to have an excused absence will not be suspended, but they must make up the instructional time either after school or on a Saturday.

San Fernando Valley schools reported minimal disruption in instruction, but they did experience dips in enrollment.

At the 4,500-student North Hollywood High School, where 72 percent of the student population is Latino, 630 students were absent.

``For the most part, our kids have been quiet today, almost disturbingly so,'' Assistant Principal John Ralles said. ``You hope they would be talking about this.''

San Fernando High junior Jessica Veloz said she felt she would make a bigger statement if she came to school rather than participate in the protests.

``To me, it doesn't matter if I come to school or stay home because it has nothing to do with me. I'm a U.S. citizen,'' the 16-year-old San Fernando resident said. ``I think it ruins the chance for them (protesters) because it shows people that they didn't want to go to school or to work.''

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

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