Absences, Border Patrol Raids, and Fresno Schools: Tackling Chronic Absenteeism

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.

This episode of Fresnolandia is sponsored by the San Joaquin Valley Housing Collaborative. Learn more about the organization and register for their two-day housing summit at: https://sjvhc.org/news-events/