Over 1,000 Baltimore Students Still Missing From Class This Year

More than 1,000 Baltimore City students have yet to attend class since the start of the school year, a troubling sign of the district’s ongoing battle with chronic absenteeism. To address the issue, volunteers gathered Sunday at the district office, dedicating their time to make phone calls and connect directly with families, WMAR2News reports.

“Nobody has to come today. No one’s getting paid for coming today. They’re genuinely here because they care,” said Lori Haines, Baltimore City Public Schools’ director of student conduct and attendance.

The effort, first launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, is designed to bring “boots on the ground” support to families. “I don’t think people understand how much groundwork goes into an effort like this,” said Roger Shaw, executive director of the district’s Re-engagement Center. “This is what it looks like.”

Haines noted that while the number of calls is lower this year, absenteeism remains a priority. A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% of the school year — just 18 days in a standard 180-day calendar.

“Sometimes, families think missing the first two weeks for vacation isn’t a big deal,” Haines explained. “But that’s already 10 days gone.”

Recent data shows nearly half of Baltimore City students meet the definition of chronically absent, though the numbers are slowly improving. Shaw emphasized that each call is about more than just tracking attendance.

“That’s what we call hope in action,” Shaw said. “I can give you hope through conversation, but hope in action means connecting you to resources — whether it’s an appointment at our center this week or simply the right school supplies. That’s very important.”

Where Are They? Over 1,000 Baltimore Students Haven’t Shown Up to School This Year  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com