The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has released the most recent school- and district-level chronic absence data, which shows that 14.2 percent of Mississippi students were absent 10 percent or more of the time enrolled during the 2016-17 school year.
Locally, the Kosciusko School District chronic absenteeism rate is nearly two percentage points below the state average at 12.09%, while the Attala County School District rate comes in nearly two percentage points above the state rate at 15.96%.
Similar to national trends, local and state chronic absenteeism rates are high in kindergarten (13.6 percent), taper off in early elementary years, and increase steadily throughout middle and high school. The rate peaks in grade 12 at 30.1 percent.
“Our high school has the highest chronic absenteeism rate in Kosciusko, as is the case with the vast majority of high schools across our state,” said Kosicusko Superitendent Billy Ellzey. “I don’t believe there is one simple answer as to why this occurs at the high school level; it can be as different as the individual student.”
Some factors, he said, include students being old enough to stay home without a parent, students working part time jobs that keep them out later than normal, or students needing to take care of family members.
Like many educators, Ellzey said school attendance is an important factor in student success.
“The most valuable thing for academic success is classroom instruction. Therefore, good attendance has one of the most positive impacts on a student’s achievement,” he said. “Another huge result in preparing for college and career is working with others to achieve a common goal. Being at school allows students to learn to work with peers to develop much needed work habits for their future.”
To encourage good attendance habits, the city schools have a variety of incentive programs, including everything from breaks with snacks and music during a school day to fun field trips for students, such as going to a Mississippi Braves game.
n the Attala County School District, Superintendent Bryan Weaver said an effort is being made to lower the rate from the 2016 figures cited by the state department of education.
“We are offering some incentives to encourage attendance. Students with passing grades who have perfect attendance are exempt from exams,” said Weaver.
The Superintendent said the district is also setting aside money to be used in ways to encourage and reward students for attendance.
“Hopefully, the attendance rate is looking better,” Weaver said, but noted that recent flu outbreaks have caused a recent spike in absenteeism.
Since mid-January, illness has been the biggest cause for 25 percent absenteeism at Greenlee Elementary School and Ethel High School, he said. Extra measures in cleanliness are being taken to hopefully stem the recent illnesses, Weaver said.
The nearby city of Durant logged one of the lowest district-wide absenteeism rates for 2016, with only 4.7% of students missing at least 10% of school days during the course of the school year.
