Attendance Awareness Month highlights importance of school attendance
The Clinton Courier
The Mississippi Department of Education is encouraging schools, families and communities to recognize September as Attendance Awareness Month and learn about updates to the state’s compulsory school attendance law that took effect July 1, 2026.
September is recognized nationally as Attendance Awareness Month, a campaign focused on promoting regular school attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism. According to the department, Mississippi’s chronic absenteeism rate was 27.6 percent during the 2024-25 school year, up from 24.4 percent the previous year.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing ten percent, or eighteen days, of the school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences and suspensions. Students who miss two days of school per month are considered chronically absent.
“Students’ academic and career success hinges on being present and engaged in learning, and we must do all we can to identify and remove barriers to students attending school regularly,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans.
Key changes in the updated attendance law include earlier parent notifications, required intervention strategies for students at risk of chronic absenteeism, enhanced attendance reporting requirements and referrals to school attendance officers when students reach unlawful absence thresholds.
The change in policy requires students enrolled in the Clinton Public School District to be present for 66 percent of the student’s school day to be counted present, as opposed to the previous requirement of 63 percent.
The change in state policy also allows students only five excused absences each semester.
The first three absences can be excused with a note or phone call from a parent or guardian. The fourth and fifth absences must be accompanied by a medical excuse.
Medical excuses must be submitted to the student’s school within two business days of the student’s return in order for the absence to be considered excused.
Any extenuating circumstance requiring students to exceed the allowed number of excused absences must be approved by a principal in order to be considered excused, or else they will be deemed unlawful absences.
School-sanctioned events and activities requiring students to be off campus will not be counted as an absence.
According to the new statewide update, students who exceed the five excused absences and who have not had further absences approved by the principal will be referred to the district’s School Attendance Officer.
The Mississippi Department of Education’s Every School Day Counts: Attend to Achieve campaign provides resources to help schools and communities raise awareness about the importance of regular attendance.
The department will also host the Mississippi Attendance Leadership Summit September 30 through October 2 in Hattiesburg, bringing together educators, attendance professionals and community partners to discuss strategies for improving student attendance and engagement.
For questions, parents and guardians are asked to contact their child’s applicable school office.
