The COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder to students, families, and educators alike just how valuable it is to spend time in the classroom. Not only does consistent presence at school allow for more dedicated, hands-on learning, it also provides indispensable social interaction for a child still learning what it means to be part of a community. The importance of school attendance can’t be exaggerated, and that’s why Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is continuing to invest in its Every Minute Matters attendance campaign as the 2024-25 school year gets underway.
Lead Social Worker Robin Fisher says that the benefits of regular attendance show up in every facet of a student’s educational experience. From better test scores to stronger comprehension skills in reading and math to a greater sense of belonging, students who are in school more often almost always get better results. Perhaps most importantly, attendance is inseparably connected to graduation rates and the likelihood of high achievement in future pursuits. Considering that adults with a high school diploma earn an average of $1 million more over the course of their careers than those without, it’s hard to overstate how much attendance can change the trajectory of a student’s life.
“Attendance is one of the top indicators of graduation from high school,” Fisher said. “It’s also one of the top indicators of job success later in life.”
Unfortunately, these benefits don’t always outweigh the risk factors that lead to chronic absenteeism. It’s almost never as simple as a student not wanting to go to school – in fact, social workers often find that chronically absent students want to spend more time in the classroom, but they’re unable to because of extenuating circumstances. Those problems could include chronic illnesses, mental health struggles, inadequate access to transportation, housing insecurity, hunger, financial issues, major life changes, and a wide variety of family matters that can contribute to an unsafe home environment. When a student misses school a worrying amount of the time, it’s usually the symptom of a larger concern.
“Absenteeism is sort of the tip of the iceberg,” Fisher said. “It indicates that there are bigger issues that are driving those numbers… anything that’s going on in their environment can influence attendance.”
WS/FCS social workers do everything they can to close the gap in access to schools that many chronically absent students face. The Food for Thought Pantry acts as an emergency stopgap for families facing food insecurity, Tools for Schools helps cover the cost of school supplies for underprivileged families, and Project HOPE offers critical support for students at risk of homelessness. These programs ameliorate problems that families face so that they can dedicate more focus to keeping their students in the classroom. Teachers and staff are also part of the solution, and they understand the importance of building strong relationships with students and families so that they can recognize when situations that threaten attendance arise. For families whose students are at risk of missing too many classes, the best thing they can do is ask for help – they’ll find plenty of members of the WS/FCS team who are willing to offer it.
“I want parents to feel comfortable reaching out to Student Services staff, whether it’s social workers or counselors, because that’s why we’re there, we’re there to help the kids,” Director of Social Work Sheila Thorp said. “We know community resources and we can make those referrals to help them so that their students can be in school and be successful.”
51,200 students attended class on the first day of school this year. While it’s great to have so many students back in school right away, district leaders are expecting hundreds more to trickle in during the first couple of weeks, especially given the early start to the 2024-25 academic calendar. WS/FCS is eager to support families and guarantee consistent attendance in whatever ways it can – it’s the best way to set students up for a happy and healthy future.
“Honestly, I don’t know too many students, especially at the elementary school level, who want to miss school,” Thorp said. “For them, I think it’s a source of stability and structure. I think they appreciate that."