By Dakota Vernezze, staff writer
Chronic school absences are a problem across the country. According to an article on the National Center for Biotechnology Information by Jo Mange Ingul and Hans M Nordahl, problematic absence can lead to major childhood behavioral disorders and has been shown to be a major risk factor for dropping out, unemployment, economic deprivation, suicide attempts, psychiatric disorders, and substance abuse as children grow.
Although the absences are excused, there comes a point where it’s no longer acceptable in the eyes of school officials. Within Kenosha Unified School District, a student is considered to have good attendance if they miss nine or fewer days, but warning signs for chronic absence is 10 to 17 days. If a student misses 18 or more days in a school year, they are considered chronically absent which can lead to a drop in their academic performance.
“If [students] are not keeping up with their work or asking for work from their teachers, [chronic absences] can seriously affect their graduation process. But we’ve had kids who are sick but they call, they keep up and they email teachers,” said Attendance Dean Heidi Newberry. “So if they keep in contact with their teachers, sometimes it doesn’t affect their graduation.”
Students can still fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves, according to KUSD. If a student misses around 10 days, it can reduce their grade by about 10 percent, which is why the district recommends not missing more than 10 days a year.
According to attendanceworks.org, chronic health conditions are often a barrier to a child attending school and contribute to chronic absenteeism.
“[My condition] hasn’t affected my school performance until recently, my grades have been slipping this semester. My teachers have all been very understanding of my health,” said a female senior, who requested anonymity for health privacy reasons.
“When [students] come back to school, they need to have a doctor’s note and it usually goes to the attendance office first and then it comes here and we document if it’s going to be something ongoing,” said Joleen Rongholt, a medical assistant at Indian Trail.
In the school district, a doctor’s note is required if a student misses four consecutive days or if the school is concerned about excessive excused absences. If a student is unable to go to the doctor for financial reasons, there are walk-in clinics in Kenosha that are available to anyone.
There are other options for students who have conditions that get in the way of their education. E- school is one option where students can learn online. Another option is called Homebound, which is when a doctor recommends a student stay home for a small period of time, and the school will send tutors to their house. A third option is to be homeschooled by parents.
Overall there are many options for students who are chronically absent to keep them on track towards graduation.
“We try to do the best we can here,” said Rongholt.