LEUSD Establishes Campaign To Keep Daily Attendance Up

Daily school attendance and student success are closely linked, studies show. That’s why the Lake Elsinore Unified School District wants to boost attendance, and keep it strong all year long with a new awareness campaign, "Every Day Counts!"

The goal, according to the district, is teaching families to view daily attendance as one of the most important ways for their children to do well in school.

LEUSD has adapted an "Every Day Counts!" campaign used in other districts, with original banner artwork to reinforce the importance of daily attendance.

The district wants to increase average daily attendance by one percent or more during the 2013-14 school year. In 2012-13, LEUSD’s average daily attendance was 95.67 percent overall, according to the district's figures.

“We’re teaching parents that getting their children to school every day, and starting the school day before releasing them for any appointments, are strongly linked to a child’s positive school behavior and learning success," said Dr. Doug Kimberly, LEUSD superintendent.

Schools depend on steady attendance, too. State revenue is allocated to schools based on average daily attendance (ADA), so absenteeism not only puts a child behind, but denies critical funding to support a student when he or she is counted absent during morning attendance.

Another reason why LEUSD supports this attendance campaign is to counter a historical drop in attendance when comparing start of the school year attendance with attendance at year end. For example, in 2010/11 average attendance decreased by 0.83 percent, and in 2012/13, it decreased by 0.30 percent, according to figures provided by the district. The "Every Day Counts!" campaign may prevent average attendance from slipping in the future.

The "Every Day Counts!" banner themes were designed by Awthentik Design Group, based in Lake Elsinore, for Elementary and Secondary grade levels. “Attendance boosts school success” is the tagline, plus key messages about timely, daily attendance and starting the school day before any excused absence or appointment. The banners will be displayed at all district schools and facilities, in addition to a poster campaign and Web art.

“When parents ask about the most important things they can do to support their child’s education, ensuring daily attendance is at the top, coupled with student effort and parental involvement,” said Dr. Kimberly. --Contributed content