New Mexico Public Education Department Secretary Ryan Stewart announced Monday that 12,000 students are currently unaccounted for statewide.

This number was publicized due to “growing concerns about high absence rates,” according to a news release from the state department. However, these numbers are still in their preliminary evaluations.

Stewart said the PED will be cross-referencing the names of those 12,000 students with private school and homeschool rosters across the state. The department will also begin to reach out to those unaccounted-for students using the last known contact information from each district’s database.

According to the news release, about 21,000 students who were enrolled in learning in the spring semester are no longer enrolled. After subtracting those who had officially withdrawn — perhaps to enroll in a private school, move out of state or begin homeschooling  — the number dropped to 12,073 K-11 students who are known by name. That is a 4.2 percent decline from spring enrollment numbers.

By: Miranda Cyr Las Cruces Sun-News

Read the full article here: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/education/2020/11/16/12-000-new-mexico-students-unaccounted-for-according-nmped/6320036002/?fbclid=IwAR1IkiBmw_Seq_0Y8Q9uWAMXASmJOqqGFmMrB151okyfLk0VL13XJqm_shE