Chronic absenteeism is when a student misses 10% or more of the school year. That’s only 1.5 days a month – and it adds up— missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason—excused, unexcused absences and suspensions—can translate into students having difficulty achieving in middle school and eventually graduating from high school. Chronic absenteeism is proven to increase drop-out rates, hurt student grades and can lead to juvenile delinquency. Research also shows that students who don’t graduate from high school miss out on lifetime earnings – making approximately $10,000 less per year than those who receive a high school diploma. Over the course of a lifetime, that adds up. Students’ futures start today. And they start in class.
Attendance is monitored at all grade levels. If your child misses 15 or more days of school this year, state and federal reports indicate your child as chronically absent. At the elementary and middle school level, this is also a part of the report card "grade" for that school building.
Absences due to illness, appointments, family vacations, etc are all absences and can add up quickly. For Hot Springs's school calendar, a student is labeled chronically absent when they miss 15 or more days of school.
As stated previously, nothing can replace direct instruction from our teachers. Online programs can provide learning activities and practice, but it does not replace the expert in the field nor the human touch that the classroom environment provides. Individuals that are more than ready to assist in creating a plan for your child to be at school more consistently consists of Mr. Klinkhammer, Mrs. Trevillyan, Mr. Nelson, Ms. Dumire, SRO McMillan, Dr. Cumbow, and your child's classroom teacher(s).
It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to assure their student is in school regularly and on time. South Dakota compulsory attendance law states that parents/guardians are responsible and accountable for the regular attendance of a school-aged child. (SDCL 13-27-11 Any person having control of a child of compulsory school age who fails to have the child attend school as required by the provisions of this title, is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor for the first offense. For each subsequent offense, a violator of this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (SDC 1939, § 15.9915; SL 1955, ch 41, ch 17, § 14; SDC Supp 1960, § 15.9914; SL 1982,ch 86, § 139; SL 1982, ch 142, § 2)