Last Friday, I reported the chronic attendance problem that Escambia County Public Schools have, but I only focused on the percentage of students in the regular schools missing 21 or more days. The U.S. Department of Education defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of the school year.
When you include all the charter schools and other alternative education programs, more than 15,000 students in Escambia County missed 10% of their classroom time last school year.
The FDOE report revealed 15,376 students were chronic absentees (36%), with Escambia County Acceleration Academy (92.1%), Pace Program (88.8%) and Achieve Academy at McMillan (83.7%) with the highest rates.
Among the county’s five charter schools, Jackie Harris Preparatory Academy had 49.8% of its students missing 10% or more of their classes. Byrneville Elementary had 45.5% chronically absent.
What about the regular public schools? Warrington (49.3%), Navy Point (50.4%) and O.J. Semmes (60.7%) were the three elementary schools with more than 49% of their students missing 10% or more days. Four of Escambia’s eight middle schools had more than 40%: Ferry Pass (40.9%), Workman (46.1%), Beulah (46.5%) and Warrington (56.7%). The high schools did better, with only one, Pine Forest (45.7%) above 40%.
Overall, the middle schools have the most significant problem with attendance, with an average of 39% chronically absent. The elementary and high schools both average at 34% – and elementary schools should have the best attendance.
How much money have the taxpayers given the Escambia Children’s Trust since voters approved the additional property?
Fiscal Year – Cash Received
2021-2022 $10,098,953.68
2022-2023 $10,264,048.50
Total: $20,360,002.18
2023-2024 $11,403,470.00 (budget)
Thru Sept. 2024: $31,766,472.18
This is why I pay attention to how the Trust operates and spends your tax dollars. The question lost in the board meetings and backroom dealing:
How have our children benefited from the $31.8 million?
The story at this link has an interesting history about schools and attendance. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/01/15/has-school-become-optional
This is nothing new. The noted schools have experienced similar, if not greater levels of absence rates for the past five or more decades. Recent data (2022) of K-12 grade absenteeism greater than 21 + days for Escambia County is 21.8%, while the state average is at 20.9%. Interestingly, for Escambia the absenteeism rate was on a rise from 2017-2019, but was interrupted by the school shutdowns from the pandemic. After the pandemic it resumed it’s upward journey.
Yes an initiative is needed. However, cafting the approach to have impact among the targeted population, other than just a new way not to report negative data, or some alternative contact program that will offset actual absence recording with be the challange. I guess they can always redefine what an absence is.