Hispanic Students Shun Schools As Alabama Immigration Law Takes Effect

USA Today (10/3, Gomez) reports on the impact that "Alabama's strict new immigration law" is having on Hispanic students in the state, "hundreds" of whom "stayed away from school" this week. One portion of the new law "requires schools to check the immigration status of students. Federal law requires public schools to provide K-12 education to illegal immigrants, but the Alabama law requires that schools verify the immigration status of children enrolling for the first time." The piece notes that school officials are stressing that this information will only be used to calculate the portion of state education funding is spent on illegal immigrants, but parents are still reluctant to send their children to school.