LTUSD School Attendance Review Board to Look at Ways of Keeping Kids at School

For every day a student misses school it costs the Lake Tahoe Unified School District about $60 in lost revenue. With a budget centered around an average attendance of 95%, every time the figures dip below the average, it is a concern not only for the student's learning experience, but also for an already tight budget.

In order to keep students in school, the LTUSD School Board voted on Tuesday to hire a School Attendance Program Coordinator. This person will assemble a review board, lend support and counseling to students and families in the areas of behavior, self-esteem, social skills development, attendance and academics.

The person hired will also look into incentives for kids to stay in school.

A program that addressed the attendance issues in the district was in place but was stopped six years ago. Attendance increased when there was attention and programs in place to address the situation, and that is expected once again when the coordinator is hired.

With approximately 3,600 students in the district, on any given day about 184 will be absent (based on the 95% attendance figure). This results in a loss of funding f $10,980 per day. With more kids missing school in the spring, that figure can look more like $15,100 per day.

A higher attendance rate will mean more funding for schools and more educational opportunities for students. Plus, students cannot learn if not in school which results in other truancy related issues.