Many missing students accounted for using cross-agency efforts

In November 2020, the New Mexico Public Education Department made a startling announcement – more than 12,000 students were unaccounted for in the public school system, meaning they were enrolled in the spring but not this last fall semester.

Now, a more accurate tabulation shows that the number of unaccounted-for students is under 3,000, representing a 78 percent decrease from the original tally.

The PED reports 1 unaccounted student in the Questa Independent School District, 13 in the Peñasco Independent School District and 13 in the Taos Municipal Schools District.

The PED released its figures prior to its typical verification process, which takes weeks, due to concerns over disengaged students learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But after a thorough crossagency effort to track down the unaccounted-for students, the PED announced Friday (Feb. 19) that the figure was actually 2,716 students.

The PED worked with the Early Childhood Education and Care Department; the Indian Affairs Department; the Office of African American Affairs; the Children, Youth & Families Department; the Human Services Department and the Graduation Alliance.

The agencies worked with school districts, cross-referencing databases and making phone calls to families, and the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department began making COVID-safe home visits to students in grades 8-12.

“These are wellness checks, nothing more. We want to ensure that these families have all the supports they need,” said Nick Costales, the CYFD deputy director leading the effort, according to a PED press release. “All the COVID-safety protocols are in place. No one is going inside a home, and they are wearing masks.”

The agencies are missing contact information for roughly 650 students.

“We’re leaving no stone unturned to find these students to assure they are safe and learning. In the end, there may be some students we just can’t reach, but it will be a very small number,” said Katarina Sandoval, the PED deputy secretary leading the project, according to a PED press release.

Of the students now accounted for, 26 percent had enrolled in private school and 23 percent had moved out of state. Additionally, the PED found about 15 percent of the now-accounted-for students to be enrolled in public school, 7 percent are homeschooled and about 3 percent have dropped out of school.