When a student at George J. West Elementary in Providence, R.I., had trouble catching the bus due to crossing a busy street, the school’s principal suggested relocating the bus stop to make it safer and more accessible. In addition, the school provides health clinic appointments for students feeling unwell, ensuring that health issues don’t keep students from attending school.

These efforts have helped Providence Public School District significantly reduce chronic absenteeism. The district recorded a 12.1 percent decrease, lowering the absenteeism rate from 48.4 percent to 36.2 percent between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. This marks a 20.9 percentage point reduction from the district’s highest rate of 57.1 percent, recorded in 2021-2022, and brings the current rate below pre-pandemic levels.

The district’s Attendance Hero Campaign, launched alongside the statewide Attendance Matters RI initiative, has been a key factor in helping the district achieve success. The campaign encourages family engagement through attendance calendars, compacts, and frequent communication with the community. The district also appointed a new Director of Attendance to spearhead these initiatives and implement strategies district-wide.

"Reducing chronic absenteeism is not just about getting students into classrooms; it's about creating an environment where they are eager to learn, grow, and thrive,” said Providence Schools Superintendent Javier Montañez in a press release. “The significant decrease we saw in PPSD's chronic absenteeism reflects our ongoing commitment to promoting an excellent education, every day, in every classroom."

Providence is not alone in reducing absenteeism. In Nevada, the Clark County School District in Las Vegas has also seen improvements in attendance through a comprehensive, district-wide, and community-supported approach.

The district’s Every Day Matters campaign included over 38,000 home visits during the 2023-2024 school year and an additional 6,000 visits over the summer to reconnect with families and address their needs ahead of the 2024-2025 school year. These efforts have reduced absenteeism rates across all student groups, with a nine-percentage point decrease over the past two years.

Community coalitions like Go to Grow—comprised of representatives from CCSD, local education agencies, health providers, and government agencies—have also been instrumental in addressing barriers to attendance, from transportation to healthcare, ensuring that students can regularly attend school.

In a news release Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell praised the collective effort, noting, "Students are responding positively to our efforts and making tremendous progress toward improved attendance. With the continued support of the entire community, we will build on the momentum for even better results."

The success of the Providence and Clark County school districts coincide with a broader national focus on chronic absenteeism. In March, Neera Tanden, the Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, addressed the issue of absenteeism in schools at the Council of the Great City Schools' Legislative/Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

She said that the White House was committed to helping school districts make sure students attend school regularly, noting that while Americans may differ on many issues, the importance of children's presence in the classroom is universally recognized. “Kids cannot learn if they are not in the classroom,” she said.