Attendance rates plummet following Las Cruces school shooting threats

Attendance numbers plummeted following a number of shooting threats, evacuations and lockdown drills across Las Cruces Public schools on Friday, according to data from the district.

The school with the most unexcused absences, by far, was Las Cruces High School. On Friday, more than 800 of the school’s 1,700 students were absent – almost half of the student body population. Before Thursday’s midday shooting threat, only 274 students were absent.

Mayfield High School and Oñate High School’s unexcused absences also increased tremendously from Thursday to Friday. Mayfield’s absences more than doubled from 118 to 246. Oñate’s absences grew from 120 on Thursday to 230 on Friday.

Social media threats on Wednesday at Centennial High School also led to a large increase in absences fromm one day to the next. Ninety-six students had unexcused absences on Wednesday and 354 students stayed home on Thursday following threats.

ABC-7 also observed decreases in attendance among the district’s younger students on Friday. Unexcused absences doubled at more than a dozen middle and elementary schools.

The district has remained adamant that these absences will count against students.