SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Syracuse City School District is trying to combat an attendance issue with students. With the new academic year approaching fast, Syracuse school board president Dan Romeo says that the fluctuating attendance is something the district is aware of.
With students being able to return to in-person learning, attendance will be one of the most important factors for this school year. In order to increase the number of kids who make it to class, the school board has put many initiatives in place to combat the lack of attendance. “We would send a postcard that said this is how many times your child has been absent,” Romeo said. “Just to kind of give people a perspective of where their child is at.”
Even though these initiatives were utilized before the pandemic, the school district has seen positive trends, according to Romeo. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, the Syracuse City School District said being present every day had the most positive impact on students’ progress.
Factors such as the bus driver shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic have also contributed to the attendance issue.
The school year starts on September 8.
