Attendance Matters

As a part of the 50% Challenge, West Virginia is one of 13 states pledging to cut chronic absenteeism by 2029. Students who miss more than 10% of school days for any reason are considered chronically absent. Attendance impacts many areas including:

• Graduation rates
• Student engagement
• Academic achievement
• Post-graduation success

Programs and Initiatives

Below are examples of attendance efforts being made across the state in our county school systems and nationally. The focus is on the importance of attendance in September and throughout the year. 

• McDowell County Attendance Spirit Week
• Berkeley County Strive for Less than Five Campaign
• Upshur County Reminder of the important of Attendance
• Wyoming County invited business and community partners to support its school attendance campaign – Nine Days or Less for School Success.
• Monongalia County Schools has published videos and content to encourage schools to reach a 95% attendance rate throughout the year in its Strive for 95 Campaign.
• Raleigh County Schools continues to keep attendance in the forefront on social media and in communications with families.
• Attendance Works, a national organization that promote school attendance, provides data, information and resources to support families and schools.