In a wave of Texas-wide student protests against ICE actions, East Central ISD disciplines around 30 students for unauthorized absences during a San Antonio walkout.
SAN ANTONIO — About 30 East Central ISD students are facing discipline after they left campus for a school walkout to protest ICE action around the country.
Student walkouts have recently taken place across Texas, including San Antonio, with hundreds of students protesting immigration enforcement and actions by the federal government.
The TEA also recently issued guidance on student walkouts, which included a mandate that participating students must be marked absent, as well as consquences for any teacher or staff member who helps facilitate the walkouts.
East Central ISD response:
East Central ISD did not say specifically what the discipline included, but said it was in line with district and state policy. They said the discipline was not related to the students’ political message at all, but was a result of missing class without authorization.
See the full statement below:
“Student safety and maintaining a focused learning environment remained our priority throughout the day.
East Central ISD can confirm that approximately 30 students who left class without authorization were disciplined in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct, Texas Education Code, and recent guidance issued by the Texas Education Agency. No students were expelled.
It is important to emphasize that discipline was based on students leaving instructional time without authorization, not on the viewpoint or message of any student. In determining consequences, the district considered that students left campus without authorization and remained off campus for an extended period of time, in some cases up to a few hours. Our responsibility is to maintain a safe, orderly learning environment where instruction can continue without disruption.
Throughout the day, administrators and law enforcement were present to ensure student safety, supervise the campus, direct traffic, and respond to spectators near the school.
School systems across Texas were recently reminded that state law requires districts to address unexcused absences related to walkouts and prohibits school systems from facilitating disruptions during the instructional day. East Central ISD’s response was consistent with that statewide guidance.”
Other school districts:
KENS 5 also recently reached out to San Antonio’s biggest school districts to ask how they would respond to the student walkouts on the heels of the TEA guidance. Here are their responses:
NEISD (in part): Students who take part in walkouts will be marked truant and those who cause disruption to the learnings of others or cause physical danger will receive “disciplinary consequences ranging from detention or in-school suspension to out-of-school suspension or recommendation to an alternative educational setting.”
SAISD: Superintendent Jaime Aquino also addressed the issue in a letter to staff, encouraging employees to review the state-issued guidance. The letter states the district remains in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
NISD: The district confirmed it is following TEA guidance and emphasized that the district does not endorse or promote student walkouts. District officials said students who participate are marked absent and may face additional disciplinary consequences in accordance with district policy and state rules.