More students are in their seats after Kyrene School District launched an initiative to highlight the power of being present. Last year, Kyrene announced it would take a proactive approach to absenteeism with a multi-layered campaign and the message: Here Today, Thrive Tomorrow. Every Day Counts. The initiative aims to educate families about the critical impact of missed school and to provide resources and solutions that build lifelong attendance habits.

And the district’s efforts are already having an impact. Kyrene’s chronic absentee rate dropped 2% in 2024-25 compared to the year before and 5% total over the last two years.

“This is a huge celebration, because data shows increased attendance contributes to both academic performance as well as social-emotional well-being,” said Kyrene Executive Director of School Effectiveness, Kelley Brunner. “Students who regularly attend school are more likely to have high self-esteem, to meet or exceed grade level academic standards, and to build strong relationships with teachers and peers.”

Brunner heads the task force Kyrene formed last year to tackle the issue of chronic absenteeism, which has soared across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools hoped attendance would stabilize after the pandemic, but districts nationwide report absentee rates remain high and, in some cases, have nearly doubled from pre-pandemic rates.

“Our goal is to stay ahead of—or even reverse—that trend,” Brunner said. “It’s so gratifying to see the improved attendance across our district and to know we are on the right track by taking a positive, supportive approach.”

Kyrene set a goal to communicate with families about absences more frequently and to educate the community about the impact of missed school. The district developed a trove of resources to help students maintain good attendance habits, including guidelines for when to stay home sick and best practices for ensuring students make it to school consistently and on time. Kyrene’s campaign emphasizes that even a few missed days per month can have significant academic consequences. One striking Kyrene infographic shows how just two absences per month will add up to an entire year of missed education by the time a student reaches high school.

Arizona law requires children between the ages of 6 and 16 attend school, and failure to send a child to school is a Class 3 misdemeanor (A.R.S. § 15-802). Once a student reaches five unexcused absences or 19 total absences, both the student and their parent or guardian could face legal consequences ranging from fines to community service.

Kyrene aims to partner with families before that happens. Kyrene schools send notifications when a student reaches 4, 8 and 13 absences, to encourage dialogue and offer support. If a student exceeds 18 absences, a more formal letter is sent, but the district is sending fewer of those messages these days.

Families can access Kyrene’s attendance support resources at www.kyrene.org/attendance.