Alizabeth Galloway, a first grader at Mark Twain Elementary School, far left, and Avery Smith, a second grader at Bordewich Bray Elementary School, pose with Mayor Lori Bagwell with their bicycles and certificates they received as prizes for achieving perfect attendance.
Every day counts in a child’s education and School Attendance Matters. Chronic absenteeism has been defined as missing at least 10 percent of days in a school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences. The Carson City School District has hovered at about 25% chronic absenteeism. While most schools in the district don’t average as high as the overall rate, hearing about the alarming statistic has motivated a few community partners, including Mayor Lori Bagwell.
Back in January, Bagwell launched the “Mayor’s Attendance Hall of Fame” campaign to promote perfect, improved or consistent attendance in school. The campaign was designed to help students understand the importance of attending school and ultimately incentivize children to arrive on time and remain at school.
Partnering with local businesses including Greater Nevada Credit Union (GNCU), Carson City Toyota, Glen Eagles Restaurant and others, Bagwell and these community partners have delivered six bicycles per elementary school for a total of 36, gift cards for the middle schools and high schools, ice cream gift certificates, Visa cards, Airpods, Jump Around Carson bus passes, toothbrushes, movie passes, books and other items. Because there were numerous students who met the criteria, the items were offered as raffle prizes.
“School attendance has shown to be a key indicator significantly correlated with high school graduation,” said Ricky Medina, CCSD director of accountability and assessment. “The effects of lost school days build up one absence at a time with individual students. The best way to counteract that is to build up regular attendance one day at a time and to help parents and families unify with schools and understand the importance and overall impact of missing school.”
While the district recognizes that life happens and that there will be times students will not be able to go to school for reasons beyond families’ control, absenteeism or tardiness becomes an issue at school when it becomes a constant behavior, Medina continued. Parents must be behind these efforts to ensure their children are practicing good habits at home and at school. Parents are children’s first teachers, and family values are the main contributing factors to the life of a successful student.
The prizes from the “Mayor’s Attendance Hall of Fame” campaign were awarded publicly during school assemblies and served as incentives for youth to establish lifelong positive habits. Not only does attendance matter in school, but those early learned habits of tardiness or unplanned days off also play a significant role in careers and future employment opportunities. Educators, parents and community partners and businesses need to unify in the effort.
If a child is communicating a desire not to attend school or attendance issues persist, don’t be afraid to ask school officials for help. There are resources and support from the school community.
The following students were awarded bikes for perfect, improved or consistent attendance in school:
The following middle and high school students were awarded $250 gift cards for perfect, improved or consistent attendance in school:
Additionally, listed below are the names of students from Pioneer Academy that received gift cards or gift certificates for perfect, improved or consistent attendance in school.