AUSTIN (KXAN)
A statewide effort to improve school attendance pushes parents, family members, employers, and students to take responsibility for filling the seats.
E3 Alliance – which stands for Education Equals Economics – hosted an attendance rally to issue the call to action Wednesday morning. Its latest research shows Central Texas schools report 2.4 million absences each year.
Because many of those absences are preventable, E3 offers up these recommendations for parents:
- Don’t make others sick. Make sure your child’s immunizations are up to date and keep your child home for at least 24 hours after a fever, vomiting or diarrhea.
- Appointment times matter. Schedule medical and dental visits when they are least disruptive to school.
- Listen to the nurse. School nurses are trained to understand symptoms. If your child contacts you from school, call the nurse first before deciding what to do.
- Keep your child safe. If your child is being bullied or is scared to go to school, seek help from a counselor or assistant principal.
- Don’t miss out if you don’t have to. Allowing a child to miss school for travel or non-illness-related reasons costs the child valuable learning opportunities, and costs the school almost $40 per day.
E3’s data shows Central Texas Schools could save $34 million each year if they could reduce absences by just three days per student.
Please watch the news coverage of the Attendance Rally here.
E3 Alliance Issues a Call to Action on Central Texas School Attendance
