SE Valley Times

Kyrene Elementary School District has initiated a campaign named "Here Today, Thrive Tomorrow. Every Day Counts" to address absenteeism. The campaign seeks to educate families on the impact of missed school days and provide resources to foster consistent attendance habits.

The district highlights that missing just two days per month can accumulate to a year of missed education by high school. Superintendent Laura Toenjes emphasized that while legal obligations exist, the primary concern is the educational consequences of absenteeism.

“School districts are required by law to inform parents and guardians of the potential legal consequences of missing school,” Superintendent Toenjes said. “However, in Kyrene, our primary concerns are the potential learning consequences.”

Arizona law mandates school attendance for children aged 6 to 16, with non-compliance resulting in possible legal repercussions. Once a student accumulates five unexcused absences or 19 total absences, both students and guardians may face fines or community service.

Kyrene's approach focuses on prevention through early notifications at 4, 8, and 13 absences to encourage family dialogue and support. “If a student exceeds 18 absences, a more formal letter will be sent, but it is our goal to partner with families before that happens,” Toenjes wrote.

Notices from Kyrene schools stress that regular attendance helps students build relationships, self-esteem, achieve academic standards, and develop lifelong punctuality habits.

The initiative responds to national trends where chronic absenteeism increased post-COVID-19 pandemic. Despite hopes for stabilization post-pandemic, many districts report persistent high absentee rates.

Kyrene aims to counter this trend with its information campaign and resources designed to maintain good attendance habits. These include guidelines for when illness should keep students home and best practices for ensuring timely school arrival.

Further details about the campaign are available at www.kyrene.org/attendance.