Elementary school absences increased Monday

Absences from Carson City's elementary schools during Monday's nationwide boycott turned out higher than expected.

"Last week we were running perfect attendance all week in 12 to 16 of our classes," said Lee Conley, principal of Seeliger Elementary School. "(Monday) it was down to three."

National protests in opposition to proposed immigration reform were held throughout the nation. Many adults did not attend work and some pulled children out of school.

"I understand their (protest), but it's an adult thing," Conley said. "It's not really for the kids."

Of the six elementary schools in the Carson City School District, Seeliger has the second smallest number of Hispanic students. Empire Elementary School with 562 students, has the largest percentage - 73.1 percent of the elementary school, according to 2005 statistics.

On a typical day at Empire, 20 to 30 children, about 4 percent to 6 percent of the student body, are absent. On Monday, 60 to 90 students were absent, between 10 percent and 14 percent of the entire student body.

"There were more kids than normal gone," said Empire Principal Pat Carpenter. "It was considerably higher."

She doesn't know if the reason was due to the protest, but said 100 percent of her staff came to work.

Of the 697 students at Seeliger, 158, or 22.6 percent are Hispanic. Typically absences at the school comprise 4 percent of the student body, but Monday reached near 12 percent.

"It's just kind of sad," Conley said "We asked some of the kids (Tuesday) 'Were you at the protest? Did you actually go?' And they said, 'No, we stayed home.'"

Gail Parson, the school's secretary, had nearly 80 children to contend with Tuesday morning - sending them back to their classrooms with either excused or unexcused absence slips.

"We did have some students who told us they were at the protest, but the majority of the kids who said that did not come back with a note," she said.

After seven absences, letters are sent to parents asking for explanations.

"If any of the students were at that point, they're going to receive the letters," she said.

The majority of students returning Tuesday did not have a note.

"We told them that tomorrow they need to bring us a note to excuse this," she said.

• Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.

Number of Hispanic students at the district's elementary schools:

Empire Elementary School 73.1 percent

Mark Twain 43.1 percent

Bordewich-Bray 31.3 percent

Fremont 9.4 percent

Seeliger 22.6 percent

Fritsch 19.9 percent