MCPS launches attendance campaign

Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) has kicked off a year-long campaign to improve student attendance and keep students learning in the classroom.

The campaign will center on a theme of “showing up together” in partnership with a national campaign through Attendance Works.

“Starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, regular attendance is essential for students gaining the academic and social skills they need to thrive. When students miss just two days of school each month, they miss 18 days of learning—10% of the entire school year,” according to an MCPS press release.

In Marion County, 16% of students are chronically absent.

“Parents, families, relatives, caregivers, and the community at-large can support student attendance by ensuring students are at school, on time, every day, realizing sickness, death, and other issues may impact attendance temporarily,” according to the press release.

MCPS hopes to address and prevent chronic absenteeism by enhancing partnerships between the community, schools, students and families.