Attendance Matters

  • Be Present, Be Powerful

    As part of the #AttendanceMattersWESD campaign, we are proud to continue spreading awareness of the importance of attendance! The theme for this school year is Be Present, Be Powerful. It is a call for everyone to focus on ensuring students show up to school every day, even when it is not easy. In case you missed it, the WESD achieved an attendance rate of 92.07% for the 2023-2024 school year, which is an increase of 0.12% from the previous year. Additionally, the WESD reduced chronic absenteeism by 14%. The WESD strives to increase student attendance again while also reducing chronic absenteeism even more this school year – but we need your help!

    Please help us in our efforts by making sure your child attends school each day and is on time. Remember, every day a student is absent is a lost opportunity for learning! Both unexcused and excused absences also count towards chronic absenteeism, which is typically defined as missing 10% of the school year – or just two days each month – for any reason. Chronic absenteeism can cause students to fall behind in school and affect their academic success.

    Powerful things can happen when you're at school each and every day! Be sure to follow the WESD on social media to keep up with all the great resources and tips we will be sharing throughout the school year. Let’s be present and powerful each day and make attendance a priority!

    NOTE: Information and resources shared on this page are used with permission from Attendance Works.

What is Chronic Absenteeism?

  • Across the country, more than eight million students are missing so many days of school that they are academically at risk. Chronic absence — missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason—excused, unexcused absences and suspensions, can translate into students having difficulty learning to read by the third-grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school.

  • When Do Absences Become a Problem

Start the Day on Time!

  • There’s a lot of information for students to learn and instruction begins when the bell rings. It’s very important that students are in their seats at the scheduled start of the school day. There are three start times in WESD – 7:30 a.m., 8:15 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Families play a vital role in setting expectations for good attendance and tracking their child’s absences. If there are barriers to getting children to school on time, please work with your child’s school for possible solutions.

  • Hours of Sleep Be Present, Be Powerful graphic