Regular school attendance is vital for student success

Soon, school bells will ring for the first time in the 2016-17 school year in communities across Iowa. Everyone can feel the excitement, as teachers prepare their rooms, students look forward to seeing classmates, and parents welcome getting back into a regular routine. But we’re also reminded of the importance of regular attendance and the risks associated with chronic absenteeism among students.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more school days for any reason, excused or unexcused. In Iowa, that means at least 18 days annually, or nearly a month. In 2014-2015, the Iowa Department of Education reports 8.8 percent of 460,918 K-12 students were chronically absent.

Missing a significant amount of school can have detrimental effects on a child’s ability to learn early in life.  According to the Child & Family Policy Center, chronically absent students are less likely to be reading proficiently by the end of third grade. And if children can’t read proficiently by the end of third grade, it’s difficult to catch up and learn other subjects.

At the April 2016 Future Ready Iowa Summit, which elevated the statewide conversation about how to close the skills gap in Iowa, Gov. Branstad and I announced the formation of the Chronic Absenteeism Advisory Council to address this serious issue head on.  The Chronic Absenteeism Advisory Council includes representatives from education, public health, the courts, nonprofits, and legislators.  The council’s task is to come up with at least one recommendation to help schools better address this issue.

In a knowledge-based, global economy, the careers of today and tomorrow demand stronger skills, including science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM.  All students need to finish high school ready for college or career training. This begins with regular attendance in school.

In addition to the council’s work, I want to encourage parents to be part of the solution.  Together, we can lower the rate of chronic absenteeism and set our children and grandchildren on a path to success in school and life.

Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds co-chairs the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council in Iowa.