Sentinel staff report–
High school students were observed participating in protests at prominent Citrus Heights intersections on Friday, Jan. 30, amid other demonstrations reported at various locations throughout the region.
Sentinel staff observed a group of about eight students standing at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane, holding signs expressing opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Students told The Sentinel they attended Casa Roble Fundamental High School and said they left campus around noon. Witnesses reported that the students were not blocking traffic and remained on sidewalks.
Others on social media reported seeing a larger group of students protesting at the corner of Madison Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard, reportedly from Bella Vista High School, in Fair Oaks.
In a statement on Tuesday, the San Juan Unified School District confirmed that “a small group of students at San Juan High School” in Citrus Heights participated, “but remained on campus to express their views,” and then returned to class.
According to the district, Mesa Verde students were dismissed at 12:50 p.m. on Jan. 30 due to a previously scheduled minimum day, which was published on the school’s calendar prior to the start of the school year in support of Back to School Night activities. San Juan Unified School District Director of Communications Raj Rai said the early release had “no connection to Friday’s community activities.” San Juan High School did not have a scheduled minimum day on Friday.
Mesa Verde High School Principal Jennifer Petersen confirmed that no Mesa Verde students participated in a walkout during school hours and confirmed the school released students at 12:50 p.m.. San Juan High School Principal David Levis referred The Sentinel to district staff for comment.
“Last Friday’s civic activities were a community-organized event and were not organized by the district or our schools,” Rai said in a statement Tuesday. The participation, which occurred at various schools locally and nationally, was based on individual students’ and families’ decisions, she said, noting that the majority of participating students remained on campus under staff supervision before returning to class.
The Citrus Heights Police Department said Wednesday that no incidents were logged on Jan. 30 related to student protests at local intersections.
Local and regional news outlets described the demonstrations as part of a broader, region-wide high school walkout held on Friday, Jan. 30. Reports indicated that hundreds of students within the Sacramento City Unified School District participated, with many gathering at the State Capitol in downtown Sacramento to protest.
A video posted by The Sentinel showing students protesting at Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane generated more than 3,000 comments. Responses reflected a range of viewpoints, with some commenters expressing support for the students’ right to protest, while others raised concerns about students’ safety, questioning the act of leaving campus during the school day, and calling for disciplinary action against students.
In separate coverage of protests involving Sacramento City Unified School District students, news outlets reported that students who left campus before the end of the school day or without an approved early dismissal would be marked with an unexcused absence.
Addressing questions about attendance policies, Rai said that under California Education Code Section 48205, students may be excused from school “for one day each year to participate in a civic or political event,” provided the school is notified in advance. Rai added that students who leave campus without proper notification or parent or guardian approval receive an unexcused absence.
The student demonstrations were part of a broader national response to recent ICE enforcement actions that have drawn public attention and debate. According to statements from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, two U.S. citizens were fatally shot in separate incidents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during protests involving ICE enforcement operations. Those incidents have prompted reactions from elected officials and residents across the country and have contributed to a wave of demonstrations in multiple states.
