With classes recently resuming, September is National Attendance Awareness Month, and the Nevada County Office of Education has been promoting it. The Program Coordinator for Student Services, Melissa Parrett, says the focus is the elementary school grades. She says some parents still don’t seem to understand the importance of regular, daily attendance and the emotional impacts there can also be on their children…

click to listen to Melissa Parrett

Chronic absence is described as missing 10% of the school year, or about 18 days, for any reason, excused or unexcused. Research shows that’s the point where it begins to affect student performance. Parrett says Nevada County has been promoting the issue with a variety of activities, many incentive-driven…

click to listen to Melissa Parrett

Parrett says many children, especially in the early grades, also miss too much school because of chronic health problems, unreliable transportation, or housing moves. She says these are barriers that schools, government agencies, and community partners can help families address.