Originally published in WSFA 12 News, September 9, 2025
The state defines chronic absenteeism as a student missing 18 or more days of school within a school year, which is 10% of the state’s instructional time.
Last month, the Alabama State Board of Education named Sept. 2025 ‘Attendance Awareness Month’ in Alabama.
Education leaders from across the state attended the Cognia IMPACT Conference, where some discussed how they are prioritizing student attendance after the COVID-19 pandemic kept students at home and attending virtual school.
The state defines chronic absenteeism as a student missing 18 or more days of school within a school year, which is 10 percent of the state’s instructional time.
“We’re going to achieve higher academic standards if we’re there every day and participating in in-person instruction,” said Wayne Lyles, superintendent of Dekalb Co. Schools.
Lyles said their daily attendance last year was around 94 percent. He said in the past month, it was roughly 97 percent.
“Getting them back into the routine and being around others and their peers was very important,” said Lyles.
Dr. Mark Bazzell, superintendent of Pike Co. Schools, said he has also seen an increase in student attendance and engagement in the years following the pandemic.
He said the statewide initiative is an extra push for that message.
“It gives us an opportunity at the local level to play off that and do the same thing in terms of our messaging locally,” he said.
Mallory Kincaid, the director of teaching and learning for Muscle Shoals City Schools, said they are pushing for parents to limit vacations during the school year.
“I know it’s cheaper to go when school starts back, but we‘ve got to have kids at school,” she said.
Kincaid said they are open to hearing more from families on what is needed to best accomplish getting classrooms full every day of the school year.
“I would love to know from parents what can schools better do to help you and your situation of making sure that their kids want to come to school,” said Kincaid.
The Alabama State Department of Education’s report card for the 2023 to 2024 school year said 14.84 percent of Alabama students were considered chronically absent.
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