MUSD reports 26 percent of its students were absent Oct. 18

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Note: Story has been updated with attendance figures from MUSD.

One-quarter of all students in Menifee Union School District were absent on Monday, a day planned by protestors to oppose the state's proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students.

Attendance figures from MUSD were not available on Monday, but a district official today reported that 26 percent of the students in its district were absent from school on Monday. By comparison, only 9 percent were absent the previous Monday. Total absences by school were not provided.

Meanwhile, Perris Union High School District schools experienced about a 5 percent increase in absences.

PUHSD – which includes five high schools, including three in Menifee – reported 1,230 absences on Monday, said deputy superintendent Candace Reines. By comparison, the district reported 1,165 absences last Monday.

Students and some teachers across the state stayed home from school in protest of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate, which would require K-12 students at public schools to be vaccinated in order to attend class. Vaccines for children under 16 are not yet approved for use, and the requirement might not take effect until well into 2022, if the legislation passes.

The Romoland School District also experienced an increase in absences today, although exact numbers were not available.

“We do not have the exact number of student absences for today, however, our schools did see an increase in student absences compared to what is typical for a Monday this school year,” said Madison Arreola, public information officer for the district. “We did not see any significant changes in staff absences today compared to previous Mondays this school year.”