Back to School: Time to Renew Our Commitment to School Attendance

By MATEO DUNNE, Mt. Vernon School Board Representative, FCPS

Alexandria, VA – Editor’s Note: Fairfax County schools are back in session and Mount Vernon’s Representative to the School Board has a message for all of us. This is the first of what we hope will be several columns on issues important to the school community — parents, students, teachers, administrators and the community at large.

We are fortunate to live in a time and place where the Constitution requires the State to provide “a system of free public elementary and secondary schools for all children of school age” and “ensure that an educational program of high quality is established and continually maintained.”

Fairfax County Public Schools is an exemplar of public education, but each child’s educational attainment and ability to realize their potential is contingent on regular school attendance. During the pandemic, our children lost the habit of attending school every day. Chronic absenteeism—defined as missing 18+ days (or 2 days per month) in the school year—nearly doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels.

This is a universal phenomenon affecting students at all income levels in every region of the country. Fairfax County is no exception. It is also highly destructive. Chronic absenteeism has been linked to reduced student achievement, social disengagement, and feelings of alienation because students miss out on opportunities to learn, to build friendships, to get involved in their school communities, and to pursue their interests.

Chronic absenteeism disproportionately affects students from marginalized backgrounds, including those from low-income families, students with disabilities, and English language learners. By addressing absenteeism, FCPS can take a significant step toward promoting equity and ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to succeed.

There is no grade level at which school attendance should be considered optional. For example, students who are chronically absent in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade fall behind in learning to read.

At every age level, chronic absenteeism can make it difficult for students to keep up with the pace of learning. Once students fall behind, it can be hard for them to catch up, especially if they have limited resources. If we learned anything from the pandemic, there is no substitute for being in the classroom.

Addressing chronic absenteeism is vital to our success, particularly as Virginia is enacting school accreditation standards that will penalize schools with higher chronic absenteeism rates. FCPS is going above and beyond to ensure students attend school every day, but this challenge requires a multifaceted approach that schools cannot tackle alone.

I look forward to working with educators, families, community leaders, my School Board colleagues, and other policymakers to reduce absenteeism and ensure every child receives a world-class education.

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