Modern students face heightened anxiety from school shootings, immigration fears and academic pressures, contributing to chronic absenteeism rates that remain elevated nationwide at around 23-24% as of recent school years — nearly double prepandemic levels. Immigration enforcement and school attendanceThreats of immigration raids trigger widespread anxiety among students from immigrant families, leading to spikes in absenteeism. A UCLA/UC Riverside survey of over 600 principals across the U.S. found 64% noting drops in immigrant students’ attendance. These measures aim to counter national patterns where 86% of educators report immigrant students in their classrooms [18]. School shootings and mental healthResearch consistently links school shootings to declines in student mental health, with studies showing spikes in anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Source: CNN January 26, 2026 13:26 UTC