Local schools are provided with the state absentee report

September is an Attendance Awareness Month in the schools as well as the Alabama Education Lab analysis of chronic absenteeism rates revealed an array of rates across the various school districts of Alabama as well as schools.

The rates are a measure of the proportion of students who skipped at least 18 days of school during the course of a school year. Schools across Alabama have sent reminders and other tips to parents in order to make sure that their children go to school each day.

The percentage of Andalusia City Schools fell to 14 percent by 2021 to just 12 per cent in 2022. After a low of 10 percent in the year 2019, ACS stood at 18 percent in both 2017 as well as the year 2018.

Andalusia Elementary School remained steady at 10 percent between 2021 and 2022 following an increase of 5 percent in the year 2019. AES’s rates AES was 14 percent and 15 respectively in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Andalusia The Junior High School grew in percentage to 18, from 14, between 2020 and 2019. AJHS was 13,0 percent as of 2018, and 10 percent in 2017.

Andalusia High School recorded an increase of 23 per cent in 2021 and 11 percent in 2022, after settling into 17 percent in 2019. AHS rates were substantially higher in 2017 when they were at 28 percent, and in 2018 at 26 percent.

Covington County Schools saw its rate rise by 7 percent from 2019 to 10 % in 2021, and then 16 percent by 2022. CCS’s numbers were 16,0 percent as of 2017 and 14 percent in the year 2018.

Fleeta Jr. High School went to 14 percent by 2021 to 21 percent by 2022. FJHS was 9 percent in 2019and 2017 was 17 percent and 21 percent in 2017.

Florala High School moved from 13 percent in 2021 to a 22 percent rate in 2022. FHS was 10 percent in 2019, and 11 percent in 2017 and 2018.

Pleasant Home School stood at 1 percent in 2019, and the school was 4 percent as of 2021. However, it the school jumped to 17 percent by 2022. PHS was 17.5% in 2017, and at 11 percent in 2018.

Red Level School increased from 4 percent in 2019 to 16 percent by 2021, but then dropped to 14 percent by 2022. RLS reached 15 percent as of 2017, before an 11 percent performance in 2018.

Straughn Elementary School is a little increasing from 6 percent in 2021, and 10 percent by 2022. SES was 9 percent in 2019and 16,0 percent for 2018 and 15 percent in 2017.

Straughn Middle School increased to 7 percent from the year 2019 to 9 percent by 2021 and 12 percent by 2022. SMS was 22, percent as of 2018, and 16 percent in 2017.

Straughn High School grew from 10 percent in 2021 and 2019, to 23 percent by 2022. SHS was previously 17 percent in the year 2018 and 18 percent in 2017.

W.S. Harlan Elementary School was 3 percent in the year 2019 and six percent by 2021, before increasing to 15 percent by 2022. WSH had its 2018 figures at 6 percent and 14 percent in the year 2017.

The percentage for Opp City Schools shifted from 10 percent in the year 2019 and 13 percent by 2021, and then fifteen percent by 2022. OCS saw 15 percent performance each year in 2017 as well as in 2018.

“Absenteeism generally is among the most significant issues we have to deal with. I think it’s more reflective of the society more than any other thing. There was an era when we planned our lives around work and school however, now I believe that more people are planning work and school around their schedules. Research has proven that attendance is a factor in relation to academic performance. This isn’t at all debateable. I’m worried that the other lessons learned have more significance. Children need to be taught that they wake up and go to school or work. This is the way you live your life. We’re doing children and potential employers an injustice when we don’t demand a more consistent commitment to attendance on a regular basis,” OCS Superintendent Michael Smithart declared.

Opp Elementary School increased from 6 percent both in 2021 and 2019 to 9 percent by 2022. OES was previously at 10 percent in 2017 and 13 percent in 2018.

Opp Middle School decreased from 11 percent in 2019 to 10 percent by 2021. However, it increased to 14 percent by 2022. OMS was 15 % in 2017, and 12 percent in 2018.

Opp High School increased from 15 percent in 2019 to 24 percent by 2021. However, it fell to 22 percent in 2022. OHS was previously 21,0 percent as of 2017 before dropping to then 22 percent in 2018.

Rates weren’t recorded in any school or district in the 2019-2020 school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The article Local schools get state absentee reports was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.