At Gretna Public Schools, our goal is to have our students in school learning and growing each day from some of the best teachers in the state. Students should miss no more than 10% of the total school days we are in session.
Chronic absenteeism is when a student misses more than 10% of school.
The chronic absenteeism rate is rising in Gretna Public Schools. Since the 2017-18 school year the % of students falling into the chronic absenteeism category are as follows:
GRETNA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: PERCENT OF STUDENTS CHRONICALLY ABSENT
GPS | 2017-2018 | 2023-2024 |
Elementary | 1.93% | 6.64% |
Middle School | 3.16% | 11.68% |
High School | 7.8% | 20.21% |
The following excerpt is modified from https://www.attendanceworks.org/
Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students access learning opportunities and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job.
DID YOU KNOW?
Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.
Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.
By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, can affect a student’s academic success.
Missing 10% for multiple years can create learning gaps that have a significant impact on student learning.
Make school attendance a priority
Talk about the importance of showing up to school EVERY DAY.
Help your teen maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
Keep your student healthy, and if you are concerned about your child for any reason, call your school for advice.
If your teen must stay home because they are sick, make sure they ask teachers for resources and materials to make up for the missed learning time in the classroom.
Emphasize how critical it is to develop healthy attendance routines that will translate to life after high school in college or on the job.