Great Bend High School has a large number of students that have missed more than 10 days of school for the fall semester and this number has been increasing over the past three years.
Dropout rates are also a concern for USD 428 with 26 students dropping out in 2014, 28 in 2015, and 31 students dropping out in 2016.
High School Assistant Principal Daryl Moore says many students are often working part-time jobs to balance the family budget and employers are calling students out of school to fill open shifts.
Daryl Moore Audio
Attendance problems are one of the leading causes of students to fail classes and ultimately drop out of school.
The USD 428 Board of Education approved a request to add a classified position of an Attendance Coordinator for the 2017-2018 school year. Moore says the position could monitor daily attendance, make parents aware of the district’s expectations, make home visits, and make court appearances for juveniles as necessary.
Daryl Moore Audio
After missing five days, students receive a warning and after 10 days their case is handed over to the Barton County Attorney’s Office. From there, the case can get a court-assigned employee to monitor the student, be placed on house arrest, and even be removed from the home.
Moore says the high schools in Liberal and Garden City already have similar positions as an attendance coordinator. Moore also mentioned that principals and counselors are involved in so many other issues that they do not have time to spend working with the numerous attendance problems.