Attention 2 Attendance Update

Yesterday, the District published a Facebook post and made a call home notifying parents about attendance letters that will be sent to families beginning next week.  We sincerely apologize for any anxiety or stress that the post or phone call caused.  It was never the intent of the post to threaten or intimidate.  Our goal was exactly the opposite.  Despite the fact that we are required by the State, through compulsory attendance laws and SB 98, to maintain attendance records and to notify families of attendance issues,  we want to let families know we are here to focus on supports and assistance for students and not enforcement through the courts.

We have heard clearly from families about issues surrounding Zoom and the impacts that distance learning and limited in-person attendance are having on families and students. We understand the hardships faced by families in balancing work, childcare, and the added burdens of children being educated at home, along with other concerns.  Because we are aware of these issues, the only attendance letters that will be sent are for absences that are unexcused.  No letters will be sent based on excused absences, illness, technical issues, quarantine, or other health, safety, or hardship reasons. For all of these reasons, and more, we want to support each student and family.  We truly ask you to reach out to staff if there is anything we can do to help.

We also have the same desire as all of our families- to return to school full time, five days per week, in-person with every student. 

It has been stated that teachers, Board members, or District leadership are the reason that schools have not returned to in-person instruction. This is simply not true.  Local bargaining units and the District created agreements in the fall to return when most other districts throughout the state were not even willing to discuss reopening.  Moreover, the Board of Trustees has pushed for reopening as soon as possible to the fullest extent possible as long as we were following the law and meeting the safety requirements mandated by the State. 

The State of California, however, has created a set of criteria that the District must use to keep students coming to school in person.  These guidelines, developed by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Cal/OSHA, include the requirement that students be seated a minimum of four feet apart.   Our classrooms are simply not large enough to meet this requirement with every student in the room in most cases.  Should the requirements from the State change to allow more flexibility, we will immediately work together with labor partners, the Board of Trustees, and administration to bring students back to the fullest extent possible. (We encourage you to read all of the school opening requirements on the CDPH website here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/Consolidated_Schools_Guidance.pdf.

Some comments claimed that these letters are only about funding.  We want to assure you the letters are not about funding. This year and next, our funding is not tied to attendance.  In a typical year, school funding is tied to a variety of factors, including daily attendance. This is not a typical year. Our focus has and will always be for students to be able to participate as fully as possible in school and school-related activities for equipping students for success, whether that is in person or distance learning.

Again, we sincerely apologize for any undue stress and anxiety that may have been caused by our previous post. We are here to support our families in their student’s education. Please reach out to your child’s school for help or visit our special page for families at www.dnusd.org/families for more information.  We are also creating an attendance Q&A to address the concerns of families.  If you have a question that you would like answered, please email communications@dnusd.org.

Attention 2 Attendance

Dear Del Norte Families,

At the heart of everything we do is the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.  We provide that support and opportunity by teaching our students every day, in a safe and healthy environment. Since October, attendance has been unusually low, and students have suffered as a result.  At this point, 36%, or more than 1 out of 3 students in Del Norte County schools, are currently identified by the State of California as chronically absent.

As you know, school attendance is required by the State of California, and the school district is responsible for communicating with you about your child’s attendance.  Teachers, principals, and/or Officer Hernandez, our family resource officer, may have already spoken with you to provide support in ensuring that your child is able to participate in school.  Over the next few days, you may be receiving a letter from our attendance monitoring and communication system, Attention to Attendance (A2A). 

Due to the pandemic and in an effort to meet the individual needs of our students and value the difficulties faced by families, we have not sent attendance letters this year, and we will not be including any attendance before October 19, 2020. A2A, though, is relaunching this week.  We understand there may be a variety of reasons your child has not been able to participate in school for the past few months, but we remain committed to ensuring all students have access to an education in spite of these challenges and to support you to the fullest extent possible.

There will be two types of letters that are going home:

• Missed Distance Learning Participation (3 levels of absence - 3, 8, 12)
• If marked Absent with No Participation on a Distance Learning day
• This is Absence Code “L” or “4”
• Unexcused In Person Participation Letter (3 levels of absence - 3, 6, 9)
• If marked Absent without a valid excuse on an In Person Learning day
• This is Absence Code “A”

It is not our goal, nor is it the goal of the District Attorney, to prosecute families, but we want to notify, reach out, and support.  We must, however, also document attendance, as required by law.  Moving forward you may be receiving letters in the mail concerning the attendance of your child.  If you receive a letter or multiple letters (depending on the number of absences) over the next few weeks and have already been working through attendance issues with your child’s principal, we want to thank you and encourage you to continue that process.  If you have not been in contact with your child’s school and you receive a letter, we ask that you please contact your child’s principal and work with staff to help resolve the issue.