It almost makes too much sense, doesn’t it? The more you go to school, the more likely you are to succeed. But for many students and their families, life has a way of complicating things. Medical or dental appointments, illness, dissatisfaction with school, disregard for school, vacation schedules, and on and on. Pretty soon, the absences have piled up and the grades have gone down. When students miss a day, few know how to make up the absence. These are some of the reasons we will soon be embarking on a district-wide campaign to increase student attendance and raise awareness among students and parents about making every school day count. In addition to increasing expectations and rigor in the classroom, increasing student attendance is another way for us to make a significant impact on student achievement.

There are other benefits to getting more kids to class and/or making up days that they miss. In California schools, improved student attendance can also mean significant revenue increases. If we could get every single one of our students to attend class just one more day this school year, that would bring an additional $1.5 million to the district.

What could this help fund?

That could fund 22 full-time teachers for an entire year. It could fund class sets of textbooks for every middle school student in the district. It could purchase one more new computer for every classroom in the district. And we could buy brand new uniforms for every student in marching band.

We will soon introduce an attendance campaign that creatively and aggressively promotes the idea that students need to be in school. The campaign will include an outreach approach to parents and community members through school newsletter articles, press releases, letters home, posters, calendars and flyers—and include extensive Spanish-language marketing efforts.

How can school staff members help us?

Encourage students to attend Saturday school to make up their absences. Last year, at Hilltop High, staff there added nearly $11,000 to the coffers by getting students to make up missed days. You can also be a role model for our students by having perfect attendance yourselves.

The attendance campaign is an outgrowth of the district’s approach to celebrating perfection. Last year, 182 district students received the “Pearl Quiñones Perfect Attendance Award.” Along with recognition for their personal achievement, the students received a certificate good for a hair cut and style session courtesy of The Salon, valued at $250. The acknowledgement of students’ commitment to school attendance was the brainchild of Sweetwater Board Vice President Pearl Quiñones and The Salon owner Abe Barron, a Southwest High graduate.

Districts across the nation have embarked on such campaigns. We’re going to take the effort a step further, borrowing from successful districts as well as our own existing school-by-school successes. At Sweetwater, there will be three categories of rewards:
• Students with perfect attendance.
• Students who have most improved attendance.
• The school that most increases its attendance.

A raffle will be held for qualifying students in the individual attendance categories and include chances to win prizes such as laptop computers, iPods, gift certificates and much more. In addition, the school that most improves its attendance will win a $5,000 technology package, which will go toward the technology needs of the school’s choice. The winning school will also receive a special concert in partnership with a local radio station.

Details and contest rules will be disseminated soon. In the meantime: Be cool. Pack the School. Who knows? At the end of the school year, Sweetwater’s “prize patrol” could be making a stop at your campus.