ACS - As the new school year gets underway, Alabama is shining a spotlight on one of the most important predictors of student success: showing up for school. September has been recognized as Attendance Awareness Month, a time for schools, families, and communities to come together and emphasize a simple truth—every day in the classroom matters.
Chronic absenteeism—defined as missing 18 or more days of school in a year, or just two to three days each month—has been proven to place students at risk academically and socially. When students miss school, even for legitimate reasons, they miss critical instruction, hands-on learning, and opportunities to connect with peers and teachers. These missed moments add up.
In elementary school, frequent absences can prevent children from mastering reading by third grade, while in middle school, absenteeism becomes a strong indicator of whether a student will graduate high school. By the time students reach high school, attendance is directly linked to college and career readiness.
Alabama has made improving attendance a statewide priority. In fact, the Alabama State Board of Education has joined the National Attendance Challenge, committing to cut chronic absenteeism in half within five years. Last year alone, the state saw progress with a 3.06% decrease in chronic absenteeism, a promising sign that schools and communities are working together to support students. State leaders have rolled out resources like the Alabama Attendance Manual, which gives schools consistent tools to address attendance issues, and have partnered with organizations such as the Department of Mental Health to address the barriers that often keep students out of the classroom.
But this issue goes beyond policy and data—it’s about people. Absenteeism doesn’t impact all students equally. Vulnerable children, including those facing health issues, family challenges, or transportation struggles, are hit hardest. For them, missing school can widen achievement gaps and make it even harder to catch up. That’s why attendance has become a community-wide concern, with parents, educators, and civic organizations all playing a role in supporting students to be in school, on time, every day.
The national Attendance Awareness Campaign, now in its 13th year, reminds families that missing just a few days in September can often set the tone for the entire year. Students who miss two to four days in the first month are much more likely to become chronically absent, which is why this month is dedicated to spreading awareness and building good habits from the very start of the school year.
Locally, Alabaster City Schools is working hard to reinforce this message with a video series, social media messages, and more. District policies outline clear expectations: parents must submit written excuses within three days of a student’s return, five unexcused absences may lead to a truancy petition in court, and more than twelve absences in a year can put students at risk of losing course credit or even repeating a grade. Programs like the Champions Craft Academy take it even further by holding students to professional standards, with repeated unexcused absences potentially leading to dismissal from the program. These steps show that ACS is committed to both accountability and student success.
The good news is that absenteeism is not an unsolvable problem. Schools across Alabama are proving that attendance improves when communities work together—when families set routines, schools provide support, and neighborhoods rally around the idea that education is everyone’s responsibility. Whether it’s a reminder to parents to schedule appointments outside of school hours, community organizations helping with transportation needs, or teachers reaching out when a student starts missing class, small steps can make a big difference.