Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has a policy in place that permits undocumented immigrant students and their families to excuse absences if they are concerned about federal immigration enforcement in their vicinity.
A document obtained by the watchdog group Defending Education, titled “Chicago Public Schools Attendance Coding for Safety Concerns Related to Federal Representation Activities,” indicates that undocumented students can be designated as “exempt” if their parents inform the school about their fears regarding federal immigration authorities.
The school policy refers to immigration actions as “federal representative procedures,” a term that the school board reaffirmed in February.
“If a parent reports an absence due to fear of federal representative procedures, the school can excuse the absence ‘out of concern for the health and safety of the student,'” the policy specifies. It adds that the memo line should indicate “concern for student health and safety.”
The policy does not require detailed explanations for absences, merely acknowledging that students’ health and safety may be at stake. It also notes that “CPS policy does not set a time limit” on how long this fear can be used to excuse absences.
For an absence to be considered “excused,” the reason must be communicated through one of the district-approved avenues.
Furthermore, if a parent is involved in a proceeding related to federal representation, they can appoint another parent to inform the school about their child’s need for an excused absence.
Additionally, the policy allows students to excuse absences for attending a “civic event,” which is defined as an event open to the public, organized by a nonprofit or government agency. This could include artistic performances or educational gatherings that align with the mission of the hosting organization.
Kendall Teets, an investigative reporter with Defending Education, commented that “Chicago Public Schools is effectively telling families that fear of federal law enforcement is a permanent excuse to keep their children out of class, with no time limits or paper trail.”
Teets further stated, “CPS should not turn attendance policy into a sacrosanct immigration tool. Instead, public schools should ensure children remain in school and maintain accurate records, rather than silently promoting truancy or hindering cooperation with federal authorities. This policy undermines both student learning and the rule of law.”
According to an independent study, school systems received over $1.5 billion in federal taxpayer funding in fiscal year 2024.
The CPS Office of the Inspector General recently revealed $14.5 million in “excessive” travel expenses for the school system for the 2023 and 2024 school years. Yet, as of spring 2024, only 30.5% of students in third to eighth grades were proficient in reading, and merely 18.3% were proficient in math.
Representatives from CPS did not provide any comments when requested.
