NAPLES, Fla. — Collier County Public Schools is celebrating a statewide win, with new data showing it has the lowest percentage of chronically absent students among all 67 school districts in Florida.
District leaders credit a focus on early attendance habits and strong parent partnerships for keeping students in class “on time, all day, every day.”
WATCH TO SEE WHICH COLLIER COUNTY SCHOOL HAS THE BEST OVERALL ATTENDANCE:
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of the school year, or about 18 days, for any reason.
Sarah Barber, principal of Herbert Cambridge Elementary, which has held the highest attendance rating in the county over the past year, said consistency is key.
“I think just being at school on time every day allows the students to have that consistency,” Barber said. “We have the best teachers, and though they want to be here, they want to learn, they want to get better. So if they’re not here, they’re not going to learn, so we just try to make it the best environment for them.”
Research shows students who miss just a few days early in the school year are far more likely to struggle later on. School leaders say attendance affects reading levels in elementary school and can predict whether a student will graduate from high school.
