The Yuma Union High School District recently announced early registration event dates for its Migrant Education Program in the 2025-2026 school year. While June’s events have passed, dates remain for July 8, 11 and 15 so that families can ask questions, update student records and connect with available MEP services.
These services exist to serve the children of migrants working in agriculture, who move back and forth due to work demand.
“Our program is to assist students that fall behind due to that mobility or coming back,” said Maria Cruz, MEP director at YUHSD. “Because some of our kids come back in November, some of our kids leave in April because of that agricultural work that their parents have to leave Yuma County to go to Salinas, to go to other places, to follow the crops. So our program does assist them with that. [It] helps each individual student get back on track to graduate – that would be with leadership programs, classroom supplies, university trips – expose them to all those things that are out there that it is possible for them to participate in.”
Cruz explained that when migrant families regularly move between cities for agricultural work, they have to withdraw and re-enroll their kids in each district they’re attending.
“It’s a lot of mobility education-wise, for students so they do tend to get behind,” she said. “Our district is very proactive in getting kids back on track. So our district does provide a lot of services within our district, let's say with Migrant – Migrant is that cherry on top of the Sundae; it's whatever above and beyond. So our district, we're very fortunate that our district does provide a lot of college, career readiness, a lot of that support to bring back, to have them raise their grades again, get back on track to graduate.”
MEP at YUHSD serves many students. In fact, Cruz noted that the district’s program carries the state.
“... Everybody, most of the feeder districts, feed into us,” she said. “So usually, our student count is between right now, with everything, it's between 2,000, 2,500 usually at the end of the year.”
The figures are a little lower compared to previous years, however, which Cruz attributes to families prioritizing their children’s education over mobility.
“A lot of our students are not moving anymore,” she commented. “A lot of parents are not moving anymore due to, you know, wanting to provide their child that stability in education … I do find that throughout the years, parents are just seeing the importance of staying behind and allowing the student to complete the full school year because that provides them bigger opportunities after graduation.”
Families need to move out of the district to follow crops within 36 months to qualify, so that’s why fewer qualify today. In the 29 years Cruz has worked for the district, she reported that she’s seen about 3,000 - 3,500 on average before the decrease.
During her tenure as director, she’s seen considerable growth in MEP students. Recounting past field trips to Washington D.C. as part of the Close Up Foundation’s student leadership programs, Cruz shared that she’s seen shy and doubtful students transform bigly.
“I always say our students are our future leaders, but they don't see themselves that way, unfortunately; you know, just with circumstances and in our Hispanic culture,” she said. “So when they come back – complete transformation. They're willing to apply for things, speak out, get more involved in school.
“... for the past two years, out of a nationwide program, Yuma Union, our students were selected to be that Close Up president. That's that big of a transformation: shy to you running for that mock trial election, and our kids were selected. Out of the first year, I think we had, out of 170 students nationwide. And then second year, I think we had 100 students, and Yuma Union students, a Migrant student, was elected to be the the Close Up president.”
Through MEP, students are exposed to new opportunities that they ordinarily wouldn’t have access to, and according to Cruz, that exposure teaches them that anything is possible and the money to go to university is out there.
“You do have everything that it takes to be able to do it,” she said.
For incoming freshmen, returning and End-of-Eligibility (EOE) students who wish to register early, the following dates and locations remain:
YUHSD District Office (3150 S. Avenue A)
Incoming freshmen and returning students:
July 8 and July 11 (8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
San Luis High School (1250 N. 8th Avenue)
Incoming freshmen, returning students, and EOE students:
July 15 (8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
Staff will be available to answer questions, update student records and connect families with available services. Backpacks will also be distributed during the events upon parent request. School supply kits will not be provided.
For more information, contact YUHSD’s Migrant Education Program at (928) 502-4665.
