Wake superintendent: School attendance down due to border patrol

Wake County Public School System Superintendent Robert Taylor told WRAL that attendance numbers at schools were down on Tuesday as immigration agents began operations in Wake County. Exact attendance numbers will be released later today.
Posted 11/19/2025, 3:00:47 PM Updated 11/19/2025, 4:00:07 PM

THE DUKE REGIONAL HOSPITAL.

LAURA LEVINE, WRAL NEWS LIVE

IN DURHAM.

>> AND NOW LET'S GET OVER TO

WRAL. SALLY CALLAN, BAR IN

RALEIGH. SHE SPOKE TO THE

SUPERINTENDENT OF WAKE COUNTY

PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ALI.

>> YES, I JUST SPOKE WITH HIM

ABOUT A 20 MINUTE AGO AND HE

SAYS THAT HE SAW A LOW

ATTENDANCE NUMBERS WHO IS JUST

ABOUT TO RUN THOSE NUMBERS AND

NOW HE'S EXPECTED TO SEE THAT

2 OUT. BUT THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS

THE WORRY AROUND BORDER PATROL

AGENTS BEING IN THE RALEIGH,

WAKE COUNTY AREA CONTINUES.

BUT LISTEN TO THIS. HE SAYS

THAT HE'S FEARFUL THAT THE

THOSE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS WILL

IMPACT PEOPLE'S LEARNING.

>> SO WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE

WHERE THEY MAY BE BECAUSE OF

THAT. I KNOW THAT ATTENDANCE

WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE TO BE

DOWN. SO THAT'S DISHEARTENING

TIMES MINUTES WITH KIDS.

IT'S A MOST VALUABLE RESOURCES.

SO WE KIDS ARE NOT IN SCHOOL.

WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY

>> AGAIN, HE IS PLANNING TO RUN

THOSE NUMBERS ON ATTENDANCE.

YESTERDAY'S EXPECTING THAT

NUMBER TO BE VERY HIGH IN TERMS

OF HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE

ABSENT YESTERDAY WITH THESE

FEARS OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS

BEING IN THE RALLY, WAKE COUNTY

AREA. OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING

CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY

© WRAL