Lamont Elementary School District welcomed students back to school amid growing fears over recent ICE raids across the state, with some parents saying this year's back-to-school jitters feel heavier than ever.
As families made their way through the gates, many students were eager to meet their new teachers and classmates, while others experienced the usual first-day nerves.
"He was definitely nervous, new teacher, new students—even though it's a smaller school, they don't all know each other, but he was excited to be back," Karla Linares said.
"A little nervous. It's a big day for a second grader, you know what I mean, especially, I have twins, so they got split up this year, so it's going to be their first time going into one classroom and another one, so they're a little nervous," Jose Tafoya said.
Some parents admitted feeling nervous not just about the first day, but because of ongoing immigration raids happening across the state. Despite these concerns, many expressed trust in the district's commitment to student safety.
"They are very good at informing people, they have all these workshops, they keep everyone well informed, they have information for parents, for students, just so that they could have a safe environment during the school year," Cynthia Lopez said.
District officials have updated their board policies regarding campus access. Superintendent Dr. Lori Gonzalez emphasized the district's commitment to student safety.
"There are very specifics on how anyone can enter our campuses. If you look around our campuses, we have proper identification in terms of who can and cannot enter our campuses, and so yeah, I want our parents to know that their children are safe on our campuses, we're here to protect them," Gonzalez said.
As the school year begins, Gonzalez says staff are embracing this year's theme: "Rooted in Wellness, Empowered by AI." The theme aims to ensure wellness for both students and staff by creating innovative learning practices and maintaining a safe campus environment.
"It is a scary time, and I'm here to say that we are here to protect our children. This is public education, and education is for every child," Gonzalez said.
The district encourages families to reach out to the Family Success Center for resources to help with the back-to-school transition.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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