January 2026
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Every day a student is absent is a lost opportunity for learning. Too many absences not only can affect achievement for the absent student but also can disrupt learning for the entire class. Because attendance is so important, the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District is making a district-wide goal of reducing chronic absenteeism by 11% in the next 3 years. This would be 40 less students who are absent 18 or more times during the school year.
Research shows that students who consistently miss school are at risk of lower academic achievement, failure and even dropping out of school altogether. Here are some facts:
Chronic absenteeism begins as early as pre-kindergarten
Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
Compared to children with average attendance, chronically absent students gained 14% fewer literacy skills in kindergarten and 15% fewer literacy skills in 1st grade
By 6th grade, chronic absence is one of three early warning signs that a student is more likely to dropout of school
By 9th grade, student attendance is a better predictor of graduation than 8th grade test scores
What is Chronic Absence and What is its Impact?
Most children miss a few days of school each year without long-term consequences. However, when they miss many days, the effects are almost always negative. Researchers have defined absences as “chronic” when they reach the level at which a child’s school success is at significant risk. Chronic absence has been established when a student misses 10 percent of school days, and it is different from truancy, which counts only unexcused absences.
In the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District, students are considered chronically absent when they miss 18 school days a year for any reason (10% of our 180 school day calendar).
That works out to less than 2 days per month.
Why Being in School is Important:
Academic achievement:
Consistent attendance helps students stay on track with coursework, understand concepts better, and achieve higher grades.
Social development:
Attending school regularly allows students to build friendships, develop social skills, and learn how to interact with others.
Future success:
Studies show a strong correlation between good attendance and higher graduation rates, further education, and career stability.
Learning continuity:
Each day in class builds upon the previous one, so missing even a single day can create gaps in understanding.
Responsibility and discipline:
Maintaining good attendance demonstrates a student's commitment to their education and ability to be responsible.
What Can Families Do?
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit in preschool so they learn right away that going to school on time, every day is important. Good attendance will help children do well in school, college and at work.
What you can do:
Be the parent, not the buddy. As a parent you are responsible for your child’s school attendance.
Avoid scheduling vacations when school is in session. They are considered unexcused absences.
Build regular routines for bedtime and the morning
Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before
Talk about the importance of regular attendance and about how your child feels about school
Don’t permit missing school unless your child is truly sick. Use a thermometer to check for a fever. Remember that stomach aches and headaches may be signs of anxiety.
If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to help your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.
Avoid medical appointments when school is in session.
Keep a chart recording your child’s attendance at home. At the end of the week, talk with your child about what you see.
Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Ask a family member, neighbor or another parent for help. Have your child ride the bus.
How to Track Your Child’s Attendance
Parents can view their child's attendance on the Parent Portal by logging into Infinite Campus. Click here for directions.
Resources
Information from Attendance Works, the Council on Children and Families, and the U.S. Department of Education was used to create this letter.