As Mississippi continues to battle chronic absenteeism inside schools, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is taking some time to recognize schools where the issue isn’t as prevalent.
On Monday, Hosemann announced 175 schools and 12 districts as recipients of a “Lt. Governor’s Attendance Award,” commending them for having a chronic absenteeism of 15% or less during the 2023-24 academic year.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as when a student misses more than 18 days, or 10% of the school year, for any reason including excused absences, unexcused absences, and suspensions. During the 2023-24 academic year, Mississippi had a chronic absenteeism rate of 24.4 percent – 10 points higher than what the state saw in 2018-19.
“The goal should be for every school in Mississippi to reach its pre-pandemic rate, and then keep trending downward,” Hosemann said. “When children are in the classroom, they are safe, and they are learning. This award is meant to celebrate schools concentrating or bringing their attendance rates up and encourage others to set the game goal.”
Hosemann, among other lawmakers, is aiming to introduce legislation during the upcoming session to reduce chronic absenteeism in Mississippi. Some ideas include requiring the restriction of cell phones, localizing school attendance officers, increasing school attendance officer salaries, and encouraging a modified calendar.
A full list of school districts and individual schools that received a “Lt. Governor’s Attendance Award” can be found here.