In school, a student can develop literacy, creativity, communication and critical thinking skills, among others, that form the foundation for lifelong success.

The most important word in that sentence, though, is “in.”

Too often, in recent years especially, students are not “in” their school to gain those tools, and are consequently falling behind their peers.

That’s why the Poughkeepsie City School District is launching the “Attendance Matters” awareness campaign, a communitywide effort to encourage every student to attend school regularly and have the best chance for success.

The district is asking all community members, regardless of the scope of their influence, to pitch in how they can. There are actions everyone can take as we encourage student achievement.

A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% of their school days. While that may not sound like much -- just two or three days a month – research has shown it is enough for a student to struggle at the elementary level to gain the literacy skills needed to thrive, and can drastically decrease the chances of high school graduation as years progress. This is particularly true of children in poverty.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem of chronic absenteeism nationally, and Poughkeepsie has felt the effect. Last school year, 41.5% of students were chronically absent and 18.7% were severely chronically absent, meaning they had missed at least 20% of the school year. Those numbers actually represent three consecutive years of gradual improvement, down from 55.2% and 31.8%, respectively, in the 2020-21 school year.

The “Attendance Matters” awareness campaign will expand on existing mitigation measures taken by the district by shining a brighter spotlight on the problem of chronic absenteeism through partnering with the community and seeking fresh ideas for how to address it.

Each Monday, you’ll find social media messages with hashtag “#ShowUpPCSD” targeting absenteeism. They'll talk about the hurdles creating absences, ideas for overcoming those hurdles, what is lost by not coming to school, how it impacts everyone in the community, and what different community groups and individuals have to gain by discouraging it.

The district is also continuing to seek solutions through its Chronic Absenteeism community survey, and its taskforce that includes district and community stakeholders.

There are plenty of ways you can assist in this important work that won’t cost a thing:

• Spread the Word: Share the importance of attendance with your networks. Each part of the community can benefit from students who attend school. To see how it may benefit your area of interest, check out these resources from AttendanceWorks.org.
• Use Social Media: Repost the district’s updates about the importance of regular attendance and share your own messages to build awareness. Find us on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
• Display a Sign: Show your support by placing a hashtag “ShowUpPCSD” sign on your lawn, at your business, or in your window to encourage daily school attendance. Request a sign at this link.
• Join the Taskforce: Work with district staff and community stakeholders to develop creative solutions for addressing chronic absenteeism. To sign up to be a member of the Attendance Taskforce contact djonesjr@poughkeepsieschools.org.
• Donate Incentives: Support the district’s attendance incentive program by donating items that reward students for consistent attendance. To learn about what incentives would be good to donate contact jortiz2@poughkeepsieschools.org.
• Contribute Ideas: Encourage community stakeholders to complete the Student Chronic Absenteeism Survey.

Please join us in encouraging academic achievement and improved graduation rates through raising awareness that students need to be in school to succeed.

Our children’s future begins with showing up. Through the “Attendance Matters” awareness campaign, the whole community can show up for them.