Keeping Kids In School: Parents Check Kids Out Early, Arrive Late

Twelve Fred Wild Elementary students had been taken out of school early by their parents by 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to Front Office Clerk Ani Guedes, the students were checked out for valid reasons - two had doctor's appointments, one due to a family emergency and the remainder were sick.

At 1:32 p.m., Mearle Crews stopped in the school's front office to take her granddaughter out early for a dentist appointment. A few minutes later another parent arrived to take her child early for a doctor's appointment.

Students are dismissed for parent pickup at 2:05 p.m.

At a recent principals' meeting, administrators shared their concerns about the large number of students arriving late and being checked out of school early.

"Checking in late, checking out early and just attendance in general - it's deplorable," Sebring Middle School Principal Sandi Whidden said.

She overheard two of her teachers discussing the problem.

"We can't teach them if they are not here," Whidden said one of the teachers commented.

During the first class period, one of the teachers had six students absent and the other had 10 absent.

"We've always been an A school accountability grade and we pride ourselves in that, but if they are not here we can't teach them," Whidden said.

An automated phone message to all parents reminding them of the importance of every minute of their child's education had little effect on the problem, she said.

The week of Feb. 2-6, 136 students checked out early and 94 checked in late. The next week after the announcement to parents, 126 students checked out early and nearly the same number checked in late. The school's enrollment is around 800.

Classroom instruction is interrupted when an intercom announcement states that little Johnny's mom is there to pick him up and then two minutes later another announcement that little Mary's mom is waiting for her, Whidden said.

Most of the time the tardies are unexcused because they say they woke up late, she said. If the parent has a doctor's note for the child then that would be an excused tardy.

Three tardies or early check outs equals an absence, but that doesn't seem to have much of an effect on parents when they are informed of the policy, Whidden said. They are checking them out for hair appointments and all kinds of things that are not valid reasons to check out early.

"It seems to be getting worse and worse and I don't know if the economy has anything to do with our attendance," she said.

In discussions with other principals, Whidden learned the district's other middle schools and the elementary schools are experiencing the same problem.

A review of three weeks of data showed that Fred Wild Elementary had a weekly average of 100 students who either came to school late or checked out early, Principal Laura Waldon said. Most early check outs are in the 15 to 30 minute range. The school's enrollment is around 540.

With an average of about 44 students being checked out early each week, Waldon said, she will check the data further to see if some students are repeatedly being taken out of school early.

Waldon said she will be sending a call out message to parents about the problem and will stress that the academic day is from start to finish.

"I understand there are going to be appointments that need to be made, but on a regular basis that impacts a child's academics and their ability to learn and get all the information they need," she said.