One-third of students not registered for school in Kiryat Shmona, mayor warns
“No parent or resident wants to raise their children this way,” said Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern, who warned that attendance in the North remained spotty.
About a third of students have not registered for the next school year in Kiryat Shmona, Mayor Avichai Stern said Monday, warning that prolonged instability in northern Israel is pushing families away and making normal education increasingly difficult.
Speaking to 103FM radio, Stern said the city was currently short about 1,000 students from next year’s education system and estimated that only about 10,000 of Kiryat Shmona’s 26,000 pre-war residents had returned.
“No parent or resident wants to raise their children this way,” Stern said. “If they do this, it is for Zionist patriotic reasons, but how much longer can we test the resilience and Zionism of the people here? Ultimately, this resilience has a limit.”
“Parents are afraid to send their children”
Stern described an education system operating under continued security pressure and said attendance remained erratic. “School attendance is not complete; parents are afraid to send their children to the education system,” he said.
According to Stern, even students who do attend school continue to experience repeated disruptions.
He described recent holiday activities in which some students participated in person while others joined remotely because gathering restrictions remained in effect.
A young Israeli boy studies on Zoom at home during the recent war between Israel and Iran, June 22, 2025. (credit: CHEN LEOPOLD/FLASH90)
“These parents, after two years of Corona where students were studying on Zoom and two years of war where they were evacuated all over the country, and now it’s another school year where they’ve been in shelters for 50 days, and part of the time they can’t reasonably come to study,” he said.
Stern argued that declining enrollment should not be viewed in isolation.
“Is it any wonder that parents decide not to take another year like this, when they see that the rest of the country is studying as usual and here they are living in a war reality? he said.
Drone attacks lead to new education restrictions
The comments came as alerts were sounded in northern Israel on Monday following drone and explosive drone launches from Lebanon.
A Hezbollah drone struck a building in Metula during the day, while impacts were also reported in Moshav Shomera. Additional alerts were activated in communities in the west and Upper Galilee, while fire and rescue teams responded to a fire near Rosh Hanikra that broke out following the impact of an explosive drone.
In this context, local authorities announced changes in educational activities from Tuesday.
The Mateh Asher Regional Council has issued updated guidelines for communities near the border, including Ayalon, Aramsha, Hanita, Matzuba, Betzet, Liman, Adamit and Rosh Hanikra.
Kindergartens will only operate near protected spaces and in buildings with concrete roofs, and children will not be allowed to leave kindergarten yards.
Schools in Manor Ayalon, Aramsha, Ma’ale HaHar and Betzet will move to distance learning, while preparations are underway to establish local learning centers.
Transportation services will only operate for special education settings.
Local leaders warn fighting could intensify
Kiryat Shmona officials later said no final decision had been made regarding the classes, but warned residents that intense IDF activity was expected overnight in the Lebanese sector and could affect communities along the clash line.
“At this stage, no official decision has yet been made regarding the holding of classes tomorrow, and we will provide an update as soon as a decision is made on this subject,” said a city spokesperson.
Residents have been urged to follow Home Front Command guidelines and avoid spreading unverified information.
Meanwhile, the IDF said it struck more than 70 Hezbollah infrastructure targets throughout the day using more than 85 munitions across Lebanon, including headquarters and weapons storage sites in the city of Tire.
Stern said residents are increasingly understanding that the current reality can continue.
“Even though we understand that reality is not going to change, Hezbollah is not disarming as we were promised,” he said. “It’s very easy to understand that it’s only a matter of time before the next round.”
