The More You Know Series - "Who Wrote Your Attendance Policy?"

 

In South Carolina, attendance and truancy issues are governed by the S.C. Code of Laws. These laws define the number of days that make up a school year, minimum seat time for credit-bearing classes (think high school), excused and unexcused absences, and different levels of truancy. When a student becomes truant, then Individual school districts -- or, in our case, our own charter school -- are responsible for conducting an Attendance Intervention Conference and creating an Attendance Intervention Plan.

 

Some people have felt that this level of scrutiny about attendance and absences is extreme; however, when you look at the impact that absences have on a student and the school community, it is easy to understand to why the state feels attendance is so important that it is codified in our state's laws.

Since the pandemic, chronic absenteeism (defined as missing more than 10% of the school year, which, in South Carolina, is 18 days of school) has been on the rise. Though it has varied from state to state and district to district, the percentage of students who are chronically absent from school has gone from around 20% (2019) to over 30% (2022). There are as many reasons for this as there are students, and that is NOT the topic we're broaching here. However, it is important to understand that attendance is down, which means that absenteeism is up.

 

 

First of all, understand that we aren’t addressing situations when students are sick and they miss school. If your student is not feeling well, then they should stay home, rest, and recover. Please see the Student/Parent Handbook for explicit guidelines about student health and when to stay home.

 

However, when a student is well, they should attend school! We love seeing the beautiful faces of our young scholars, and we love watching them learn and grow.

 

Absence from class equals lost learning. Think about all the different kinds of learning that go on in school: subject-related learning, academic skills practice, and social and emotional learning. Not only that, but absence from class takes a toll on overall student wellbeing, sense of belonging, and mental health. Every day that students are in school, they are building relationships with peers, teachers, counselors, and other staff; missing school also means missing opportunities to forge relationships.

Some people feel that absences in high school have a more negative impact than those in kindergarten and early elementary grades. However, studies have shown that younger students are more impacted by missing class when it comes to literacy development and other academic outcomes, including even high school graduation. Creating healthy attendance patterns in younger grades will have measurable benefits going forward.

 

"Kids missing school doesn't impact me." This is something that has been heard by school leaders across the country. Think of it this way, though: our students are the future of South Carolina. Since we know that absenteeism can be tied to lost learning and even lower graduation rates, it is so important that we do everything we can to help kids get to school. Do you know someone who is having transportation issues and is struggling to make the drive to Lakes & Bridges? Please contact Ms. Heidi-- no fear of judgement. We just want all of our innovators to have every opportunity to excel!

 

Finally, another attendance-related impact that isn't often considered: public schools receive per pupil funding based on attendance counts. If a student has more than ten consecutive unexcused absences, then they are un-enrolled and their school might not receive that student's per pupil allotment. 

 

 

Reminders about what to do if your Lakes & Bridges student is absent:
💚Submit a parent/guardian or doctor note within three days of their return to school to our Attendance Clerk, Mrs. Michelle Tennant ([email protected])
💚Once your student has accumulated ten absences, only a doctor's note will be accepted for any subsequent absences
💚Questions about attendance can be directed to Mrs. Tennant