Student Support & Attendance

Dear Families,

It seems unreal to say but we only have 7 weeks of school left for this year. That works out to 33 remaining school days. During April Vacation, I looked at the number of total absences by school and noticed that our district is still doing much better this year compared to last year regarding Chronic Absenteeism.

In 2023-2024, our Chronic Absenteeism rate in the district was 9.3%. At this time, only 4.1% of our students have had 18 or more absences so far in 2024-2025.

The last 7 weeks of school will be filled with many academic and social activities for the children. And we don't want them to miss out on any of them. Please continue to do all you can to send the students to school when they are well enough to do so. You can always call your School Nurse if you have a question about your child's health.

Keep up the great work and thank you once again for all of your efforts regarding school attendance.

Sincerely,

Ed Connor

Some students may face challenges with consistent attendance. Their emotions can be difficult to express, and you might notice some signs without your child directly telling you that they are feeling anxious. Some of these signs can include:

• Stomach aches or headaches

• Trouble sleeping or feeling tired frequently

• Increased irritability or blaming others

• Stressful life events, such as a family illness, loss of a pet or loved one, or changes like divorce or separation

• Withdrawal from activities that they usually enjoy

• Difficulty with social situations or conflicts at school

Strategies to address them:

• Reach out to the school as soon as possible
• Work with school to create a plan of action
• Include any family therapist in the conversations
• Reassure your child that school is here to support them
• Keep lines of communication open
• If at home, include structure in their day (light chores, school work, limit screen time, etc.)

Healthychildren.org is a website that offers multiple articles dedicated to children's health. Here are 2 regarding anxiety and school avoidance that you may find helpful:

Help your child manage anxiety: tips for home & school

School Avoidance: tips for concerned parents

A student is considered Chronically Absent when they miss 10% of the school year. In Massachusetts, this means a student who misses 18 or more days, regardless of an excused or unexcused reason, is classified as chronically absent. Remember that all it takes is for a student to miss two days each month to be designated with this status.

• April 28, 2025 - 4.1% of WPS students are at Chronically Absent levels (18+ abs)
• March 26, 2025 - 3.1% of WPS students are at Chronically Absent levels (18+ abs)
• February 14, 2025 - 2.0% of WPS students are at Chronically Absent levels (18+ abs)
• January 23, 2025 - 1.3% of WPS students are at Chronically Absent levels (18+ abs)
• December 13, 2024 - 0.7% of WPS students are at Chronically Absent levels (18+ abs)
• November 1, 2024 - 0.3% of WPS students are at Chronically Absent levels (18+ abs)

Walpole Public Schools (WPS) have been addressing challenges related to attendance. Chronic Absenteeism has increased dramatically since 2020. Before the pandemic, students were attending school more consistently. Our goal is to decrease our numbers as much as possible.

Recent Chronic Absenteeism Rates in Walpole Public Schools

• 2019 - 7.1% of WPS students were Chronically Absent
• 2022 - 13.1% of WPS students were Chronically Absent
• 2024 - 9.3% of WPS students were Chronically Absent

We know that Walpole is not alone regarding the number of student absences from school. School absenteeism is an issue in Massachusetts and across the country. The district will continue to work with families in an effort to further reduce the number of absences in our schools.

School Attendance

Chapter 76, section 1 of the Massachusetts General Laws states that all children between the ages of six and sixteen must attend school. It is the parents or guardians to ensure that their children attend school.

Parental Responsibility

Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring that a child under their control attends school daily. It is a crime for a responsible parent or guardian not to cause such a child to attend school. If a child fails to attend school for seven day sessions or fourteen half day sessions within any six month period, school administrators may file a criminal complaint in court against the responsible parent/guardian.

Notification and Contact Information

Chapter 76, section 1A of the Massachusetts General Laws states that parents/guardians must be provided each year with the instructions for calling a designated phone number at a designated time to inform the school of the absence of a student and the reason for the absence. Those telephone numbers can be found in the school's Student-Parent Handbook. In addition, parents/guardians must provide the school with a home, work or other emergency telephone number so that they may be contacted during the school day so the school may call and inquire about said absence.

What is a CRA (Child Requiring Assistance) Application?

A “CRA” (Child Requiring Assistance) application may be filed in court by a school district if a school-aged child is “habitually truant". That means a child willfully fails to attend school for more than eight school days in a quarter, or who repeatedly fails to obey the lawful and reasonable regulations of his or her school. The Court’s authority pursuant to a CRA petition includes the power to place the child in the custody of the state agency known as the Department of Children and Families.

What is a 51A?

A 51A is a report of suspected child abuse or neglect that is filed with the Department of Children and Families. Under Chapter 119, section 51A of the Massachusetts General Laws, a report can be filed on behalf of a child under the age of eighteen for educational neglect if a child is not attending school on a regular basis. Parents or guardians are legally responsible for ensuring that a child under their control attends school.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at the email or telephone number listed below. Or, you can contact your child's school:

Edward Connor

Dean of Student Support and Attendance

Email: econnor@walpole.k12.ma.us

Phone: (508) 660-7257 ext. 5020