Putnam County Schools Working To Mitigate Number Of Chronically Absent Students

A state mandate put in place several years ago now affecting several Upper Cumberland school systems working to avoid chronic absenteeism.

The state classifies chronic absenteeism as when a student misses 10 percent of instructional days.

Putnam Schools Attendance Supervisor Chris Pierce this is a fluctuating issue and students today would be chronically absent after missing just five days.

“It’s good because we need to be held accountable for the kids that we have and try to increase attendance” “Because this metric doesn’t necessarily mean truancy, it also includes excused absences like with doctors notes and sick days and parents notes and things like that.”

Pierce said the number of students who are chronically absent varies per school, with most in the older age group. Pierce said looking at current data available to the school, about 15 percent of Putnam students are considered chronically absent.

Pierce said that Putnam Schools provide several ways to try and mitigate the number of absences. He said that includes more bussing opportunities, counseling for mental health needs, and tutoring.

“All those things incorporated with a viable curriculum that we offer to help educate a kid,” Pierce said “All the tech resources we offer with Chromebooks and things like that that we have access to. All of those things play a part in trying to eliminate barriers of kid not being able to attend school.”