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Buffalo Schools ready to tackle student absenteeism

Buffalo Common Council Education Committee
photo by Michael Mroziak
Buffalo Common Council Education Committee

By Michael Mroziak

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-975630.mp3

Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Public School officials said Wednesday plans are already in place to counter a student absentee rate that is contributing to the district's poor graduation rate.

The Buffalo Public School District will be implementing measures beginning next week with the start of summer school. Associate superintendent Will Keresztes detailed these plans to the Buffalo Common Council's education committee.

Keresztes released numbers from a study that indicate an alarming rate of chronic absences - 42 percent of students overall missed 18 or more days of school last year.

Over half of Buffalo's high school students were chronically absent. While the study shows an average daily attendance of 90 percent, Keresztes told the committee that too many students are missing too many days of school.

Beginning next week, chronically absent students will be receiving automated phone calls voiced not by school official, but instead by influential members of the community encouraging parents to get their kids to class.

The district also is hiring attendance teachers and when the fall arrives Keresztes said individual schools will have plans in place.

Chronic absences were especially alarming at the kindergarten level, where more than 40 percent of students missed 18 or more days of school last year.

School officials sid it is important to build a culture of school attendance early, so that kids are not falling behind just as they're getting started.