School Attendance

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SMITHVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-You can never put a value on education, but In order for students to receive a good education, they must first be present in the classroom.

According to a recent study by USA Today, seven and a half million students will miss at least one month of school.

As a result, it raises the likelihood that they’ll fail academically or even drop out.

 
“Your child can not learn when they’re not here, and it’s that simple,” Smithville Principal Chad O’Brian said.

Smithville Principal Chad O’Brian says he knows the importance of student’s not missing school, and he’s doing something about it.

“We have a call system here that every morning by 8:30, if your child is absent from school you’re gonna get a phone call,” O’Brian said.

A recent survey shows 20 percent of Mississippi students will miss 3 to 4 days of school per month.

Students typically miss school for a number of reasons, including illness and lack of motivation.

“I think it just reaches a point where if they’re excessively absent from a class, it makes it real difficult for a child to get what they need to get,” O’Brian said.

O’Brian says attendance starts at home with the parents.

If a student misses too many days in a classroom, parents can find themselves in a courtroom.

“That’s when the schools attendance officer comes into play and can actually fine the parents up to a certain point, and then the parent can even serve jail time for that student missing so many days,” Smithville Resource Officer Michael Cantrell said.

Cantrell deals with late students everyday, and he even has to work at home, because his daughter is a student at Smithville.

“Absolutely , we just make sure that we get her up extra early in the morning to giver her time to get awake and get a good meal and get rested the prior night before school,” he said.

O’Brian says the school is now in its Attendance Drive, meaning it’s crucial for students to be in class.

“The percentage of students that we have on campus these next two months is what determines our funding for the next year,” O’Brian said.

Now, the school is taking extra steps to keep kids motivated.

“We offer incentives such as homework passes and ball game tickets as a reward for attendance,” O’Brian said.

O’Brian also added, that students must complete 63 percent of the school day to be counted present, and there is not a certain amount of days a student can miss before they fail.