Corinth schools are looking at ways to curtail a rise in chronic absenteeism in the post-pandemic era.
The Mississippi Department of Education’s report on chronic absenteeism for 2020-2021, released in February, revealed a spike in the number of students who are chronically absent – defined as missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days, for any reason, excused or unexcused. Across the state, the number was 28 percent. In the Corinth School District, the number was 27.4 percent (740 out of 2,700 students).
“One of the things that the research shows is children that are chronically absent over a number of years are much less likely to graduate from high school,” Superintendent Lee Childress told the Corinth School District Board of Trustees in a meeting Thursday evening.
And the bad habit may continue through life.
“If you don’t come to school,” he said, “you’re probably not going to go to work.”
The district’s overall rate is up from 16 percent in the last reported school year, 2018-2019. CES was at 22.8 percent in the latest report, rising from 12.6 percent; CMS, 29.1 percent, up from 19.4 percent; and CHS, 34.5 percent, up from 18.4 percent.
Chronic absenteeism had been trending downward across the state prior to the Covid era.
Childress said the district plans to contact parents of children who are chronically absent thus far in the school year to find out why they are falling into that category. He said the district may also tweak some of the rules regarding excused versus unexcused absences and may look at increasing enforcement through the municipal court. The school attendance officer typically becomes involved once a student reaches 10 unexcused absences.
The district will also look at the numbers to see if particular grades need attention. The highest rate is typically in the 12th grade.
The district will also plan a campaign to go along with a state campaign in the next school year aimed at boosting attendance. The state campaign will challenge students to have no more than five absences in a school year.
Schools can have both solid average daily attendance figures and issues with chronic absenteeism. Childress noted the elementary school normally has average daily attendance around 93 percent, while the district as a whole ranges between 89 percent and 95 percent.
A 1 percent increase in average daily attendance will yield a funding increase of $75,000 to $100,000.
Chronic absenteeism rates for other area districts for 2020-2021 are: Alcorn County – 16.8 percent; Tishomingo County – 38.9 percent; Booneville – 18.2 percent; Prentiss County – 21.3 percent; North Tippah – 25 percent; South Tippah – 20.9 percent.
Statewide, the highest rate in K-5 schools was in kindergarten. In middle school, the highest rate occurred in grade 8, and in high school, grade 12.
MDE began reporting chronic absentee data in 2016.
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