Missing school two days or more per month is considered chronic absenteeism, and Washoe County says it's a big problem for our district.
On Tuesday, WCSD launched a new plan to keep kids in class.
At the Family Resource Center in Sun Valley, high school senior Hannah Williams shared her story; "Being homeless, injured, and having to balance school at the same time was nearly impossible."
And those were just some of the hardships that had young Williams skipping school on a regular basis.
"And for students like me, I had a lot going on at home that was more important than school - and I had nobody to help me with what I was going through,” Hannah recalls.
Recognizing the reasons for chronic absenteeism are often complicated, Washoe County School District is launching a new program called “Be There.”
"Sometimes we've had the nature to blame parents for not getting to school,” explains WCSD Superintendent Traci Davis, “We're shifting that focus to how do we support you and provide you the resources to get your child to school."
Resources like transportation, child care, counseling and more.
A promotional video plays, sharing statistics; "Children who attend school every day are more likely to graduate."
United Way Of Northern Nevada And The Sierra is one of big partners in this effort; providing funding and resources.
"(We’re) really focused on improving early literacy for our children and one of the key components of that is attendance," Michael Brazier, CEO and President of United Way NNS tells us.
The video offers solutions; "If anything prevents your child from getting to school, dial 2 -1-1. They have resources that can help you."
For a mom of a daughter with special needs, it was a bus - and help with complicated medical paper work. For 17-year-old Hannah it was someone who noticed she was absent and the guidance to get back on track.
"You have so many more opportunities outside of your living situations and your home situations." Hannah is now adamant. With a 4.0 GPA and plans for college, Hannah believes dialing 2-1-1 can make a difference for other students, too
"If you reach out to people, you will be helped."
For information on the Be There program, click here -
For an abundance of resources available throughout the state, click here -
