DAYTON — Getting kids to come to class with the support of the state’s pro sporting teams – it’s called ‘Stay In The Game,’ and the goal is to cut down on chronic absenteeism.
News Center 7′s Xavier Hershovitz was at the event today where a furry member of the Columbus Crew helped celebrate students on the right track.
It’s not every day you get the “Crew Cat” of the Columbus Crew soccer team to come to your local school, hitting some dance mo
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- Company releases statement on legal battle to re-open Frisch’s in the Miami Valley
- Justin Timberlake cancels concert 10 minutes before taking stage in Ohio
- Intel delays Ohio chip manufacturing factory until at least 2030
And clearly the students at the Dayton Leadership Academy are excited because it’s all part of the Stay In The Game network.
Alexia Ramos, Community Relations Coordinator for the Columbus Crew said, “We cover all three regions in Ohio in an effort to decrease chronic absenteeism across the state.”
The whole goal is to get kids to keep going to class.
Tonya Dillard, Attendance Officer for Dayton Leadership Academy said, “It’s very important for the child to come to school.”
Dillard said students must be in class to reap the benefits of their education. This is the school’s first year working with Stay In The Game.
“They have instilled in us measures on how to increase our attendance, you know, so, and that’s what we’ve been doing,” Dillard said.
Things like a big pep rally to celebrating students that are on the right track.
“We give out gift cards, we give out bicycles, we give out TVs, we give out a whole bunch of things,” Dillard said.
Chronic absenteeism has been an issue in Ohio, hitting a five-year high in 2022 with nearly 30% of students missing at least 10% of their school days. It comes down to just over 24% last year.
According to the Columbus Crew, schools in the program saw a 7% drop in absenteeism, compared to the 3.2% state average.
“This program has been incredibly effective for students to attend school more often so they can get the critical learning they need,” Ramos said.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
