SPRINGFIELD — With September being Attendance Awareness Month, Springfield City School District is stressing the importance of school attendance post the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Chronically absent students in Ohio are 65 percent less likely to meet the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and 89 percent less likely to graduate high school on time, according to the Ohio Department of Education.
“If a student misses two days of school per month, they will miss the equivalent of one year of class instruction by their high school graduation,” a district spokesperson said Friday.
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Springfield City School District has taken the following measures to disseminate the message to families:
- Billboard campaigns
- Social media messaging
- Increased phone communication between building leaders, secretaries, and families
- Creation of individualized success plans for families who may be struggling with attendance
- Increased the number of District Attendance Officers
“I encourage families to maintain an open channel of communication with their school,” Superintendent Dr. Bob Hill said. “Let someone know if you are having trouble getting your child to school — whether you face issues with transportation, child care or something else. Our students cannot learn if they are not at school.”