September is known for many things such as the start of fall, cooler weather, and the kickoff to football season.
However, local school districts in Missouri want it to be known for something else.
KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
Several Southwest Missouri school districts are collaborating to encourage a community-wide focus on strong student attendance for the 2024-25 school year.
The campaign kicked off this month during National Attendance Awareness Month and will aim to highlight the value and benefits of attending school each day.
Student attendance rates throughout Missouri have shown steep declines post-pandemic. During the 2022-23 school year, about one-quarter of Missouri students were considered chronically absent; in 2018-19, only about 12.7% of Missouri students were chronically absent.
The conditions for chronic absenteeism are met when students miss 10% or more of their school days in an academic year. In many local districts, that threshold per student equals 8-9 missed days each semester.
Neosho School District Superintendent Jim Davis said in a press release, "Attendance is one of the most critical factors in a student’s academic success and long-term development.”
Participating public school districts include Carl Junction, Carthage, Cassville, Joplin, McDonald County, Monett, Neosho, and Webb City.
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