On this week’s Fresnolandia, we’re joined by Diego Vargas, Fresnoland’s education reporter, and Abby Arii, Fresno Unified School District’s Director of Student Services, to unpack the growing challenge of chronic absenteeism in Fresno schools.
We explore how federal immigration crackdowns—like the recent Border Patrol raid in Kern County—are affecting student attendance, drawing on new reporting and a Stanford study showing surges in absences across the Central Valley.
Abby shares how Fresno Unified is confronting this problem head-on, while Diego breaks down what his reporting reveals about the links between immigration policy, fear in the community, and student success.
Further Reading
‘A canary in a coal mine’? How Trump’s targeting of immigrants is hitting Fresno Unified schools
How Fresno Unified parents can keep track of their student’s school bus in real time
