Did you know that children can suffer academically if they miss 10 percent of the school year? That’s just 18 days or two to three days a month. And that can add up before you know it.
This September, RSU 29 is celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with a renewed push to get all kids to school — on time, every day.
Research shows us that absences add up. That’s as true for kindergartners as it is for 12th graders. It’s as true for excused absences as it is for skipping school. We know there will be days when your child will miss school, especially when they’re sick. But did you know that nationwide, as many as 7.5 million students miss 10 percent of the school year? That’s 135 million days of missed school — and missed opportunities. And research shows us it also marks the point when students start to fall behind academically because they have missed too many days.
So this September, for Attendance Awareness Month, let’s work together as a community — school and business leaders, parents, students, teachers, doctors, neighbors — to get all kids to school on time, every day.
