As the Warren County School District continues to bounce back from the many impacts of COVID-19, it has set its sights on attendance.

The attendance standards haven’t really changed, they were simply difficult to stick to during COVID when students were missing weeks at a time in quarantine or isolation. With fewer cases and fewer restrictions, attendance should be bouncing back.

It is, but not enough.

“Kids are missing school,” Director of Pupil Services Dr. Patricia Mead said.

She said there has been an average of more than one new attendance-related referral a day for the last month.

“Kids need to be in school,” Pupil Services Supervisor Leslie Bloomgren said. “Keeping them out of school is not doing them any service. They need to be attending for their success.”

“If you’re missing 20% or more of the school year, the correlation is you’re less likely to graduate,” Bloomgren said.

Those with a pattern of missing school are often less connected to other students and school activities — factors that correlate to dropping out.

The district is not encouraging parents to send sick children to school. “We are not trying to come down hard on parents who are doing the right thing by keeping sick children out of school,” Bloomgren said.

But, they are working on making sure students are in school when they can be and to provide help to students who need it after missing time.

“We audit every school’s attendance report every week,” Mead said.

That check points out potential problems.

There is a multi-disciplinary team in place to take a look at cases where students show a pattern of absence and identify barriers to attendance. The team looks at the ABCs — attendance, behavior (both discipline and mental health issues), and coursework.

Absence can lead to a cycle of problems. “You start to have anxiety because you’re behind in your work,” Bloomgren said.

And, the district is prepared to step in to help. “Do they need a plan to help them be successful?” she said.

“We’re taking into account the whole child,” Bloomgren said.

If transportation, mental health, bullying issues, or some other factor is playing a role in student attendance, the district wants to know and work on it.

Understanding that all children experience trauma at some level, the district offers psychological counseling services from the district’s seven school psychologists and the efforts of the three school social workers to all students.

The district also has a two-year agreement with Family Services of Warren County to provide art therapy services.

All core school behavioral providers have been through, or are scheduled to complete, 14 courses including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) training, Mead said. The district has a dedicated trauma informed care coordinator and each secondary school building has a trauma informed club. In addition to meeting at their buildings, the several clubs will come together to share ideas and information throughout the school year.

The district’s home school visitor is in charge of checking up on attendance situations related to students who attend virtually.

Students who do not have counseling as a part of their education plans can be referred for services by teachers, parents, or themselves.

The district is also utilizing universal screening, using social emotional learning (SEL) principles. The platform sends a survey via email to the students four times throughout the school year.

The questions ask the students to rate their abilities and comfort levels with school situations.

There are also surveys about school climate and culture that go out to staff, students, and parents, Bloomgren said. “How does school make you feel?”

The district continues to take steps — including publicly visible ones — to address attendance.

In September — attendance awareness month — the district had five attendance-related billboards in high-traffic areas of the county.

“It’s been hard for everyone,” Bloomgren said. “It’s a work in progress.”