MARION COUNTY – Students learn best when they are in the classroom. That’s why Marion County Public Schools kicks off a year-long campaign to improve student attendance on a daily basis. Every minute matters now more than ever.
In partnership with the national campaign through Attendance Works, this year’s recurrent theme of “Showing Up Together!” stresses the partnership it takes for students to attend school regularly with strong, solid support from family and community.
Starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, regular attendance is essential for students gaining the academic and social skills they need to thrive. When students miss just two days of school each month, they miss 18 days of learning -- 10% of the entire school year. Some miss even more and are considered truant under Florida law.
Research shows chronically absent students missing 10% or more of the school year are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, achieve in middle school, and graduate on-time from high school.
So far this school year, just 84% of MCPS students are regularly attending school. This means 16% are chronically absent, and that number is trending up. Last school year, 33% of students chronically missed more than 10% of the entire school year.
Parents, families, relatives, caregivers, and the community at-large can support student attendance by ensuring students are at school, on time, every day realizing sickness, death, and other issues may impact attendance temporarily.
“Showing Up Together!” speaks to the importance of joining together to address the devastating impacts from interrupted learning and increased economic stress. Another contributing factor is school attendance has never fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
MCPS plans to highlight the value of enhancing partnerships between communities, schools, students, and families to build and implement long-term plans to address today’s high levels of absenteeism.
The entire community benefits when children and youth have equal opportunity to gain skills and abilities that prepare them for success in school, work, and life. “Showing Up Together!” will improve school attendance if everyone works together to ensure regular school attendance happens.
For more information, contact the Public Relations Office and www.attendanceworks.org.