Los Angeles Unified School District

Dear Parent/Guardian:

During the past several days there have been a series of student walkouts during the school day to protest recent proposed immigration legislation. Although we support students’ right to voice their opinion, when students leave school without permission, they are in violation of District policy and compulsory attendance laws. Section 48200 of the Education Code states: “that each person who is between the ages of six and eighteen years and not otherwise exempted…is subject to compulsory full-time education…”

In addition to the Education Code, the Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County have strict loitering ordinances. These ordinances prohibit any person under the age of eighteen and subject to compulsory school attendance from loitering in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alley, parks, playgrounds, or other public grounds between the hours of 8:30a.m. and 1:30p.m. on days when school is in session. Students who violate these ordinances may receive a citation, have to appear in court with their parent/guardian, have a fine imposed by the court, and risk having their driver’s license withheld. 

Activities have been planned at each school to provide students with an opportunity to express their concerns and opinions. Teachers have received instructional materials to also help students understand the current events regarding immigration.

Please be advised that students who leave campus without permission are defying school rules and District policy and will be subject to disciplinary consequences. In addition, students who are not in school and absent without a valid excuse will be issued a loitering citation by law enforcement agencies. We are requesting your support in ensuring that your child attends school for the entire school day and, if interested, take advantage of school based activities to voice their viewpoint on this and other relevant current events occurring in the community. If you have furthe r questions, feel free to contact your child’s school.

STUDENT WALKOUTS, Large and Peaceful

Students walked out of 52 schools, most of them high schools and a few middle schools to stage their protests. In some cases, they marched from their home school to other schools. At one point, about 100 students marched onto the northbound lanes of the  10 freeway between 5th Street and the Hollywood freeway before they were escorted back to the sidewalk by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers. One student was momentarily detained when he jumped on the hood of a police car but was released shortly thereafter.

“An estimated 24,000 kids in the LAUSD are engaged and want to have their voices heard by Congress, but it’s important that this dialogue continue in the schools where we can be sure kids are safe and learning, not in the streets,” said Marlene Canter, President of the Los Angeles Board of Education. “Tomorrow we want to see kids participating in teach-ins, not walk-outs. We want to harness this energy and passion in a constructive and safe manner that really teaches our kids something about the democratic process.”

Three police agencies worked to maintain safety for the students, under the direction of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The Los Angeles Unified School Police and the California Highway Patrol joined the LAPD in making sure the demonstrations remained peaceful and to protect the students. Some of today’s protests were encouraged by a  website popular with students and a radio disc jockey.

Parents/guardians were sent a letter today asking them to speak with their children about the protests and encouraging them to limit their activities to their school campus. The school district has made it a policy to request that students stage protests and exercise freedom of speech on school campuses. However, there have been instances when they have left their campus to march and protest. Administrators often accompany them for their safety and to request buses to pick them up if necessary. Thirty school buses were dispatched today to shuttle students back to their home schools, many of them making repeated trips because of the large number of students needing transportation. There were also students participating from other schools districts in the county.

Superintendent Roy Romer has instructed all middle and high schools to enforce lockdown tomorrow morning to keep students from marching through the streets again.

Disciplinary action can be taken for truancy and missing school work. Each principal will determine what procedures to be followed.  Curriculum will be included in school discussions tomorrow to engage students in issues of freedom of speech, civil protests, and events in United States history that have involved public protests. Students will be asked to engage in discussion of the current issues that are prompting these marches as well as an overview of objectives and results of demonstrations. Discussion will also cover how a bill becomes legislation.

Again tomorrow, there will be a beefed up police presence at schools and law enforcement agencies will work together to maintain safety and security, hopeful that with parental support the discussions will remain on campus.

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