Campaign Addresses Absenteeism

Thanks to South Dakota teachers’ heroic efforts, students across the state continued their learning, predominantly in in-person settings throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with that, South Dakota’s chronic absenteeism rates nearly doubled between the 2018-19 and 2020-21 school years.

Educators know that chronic absenteeism is bad for students – often resulting in increased drop-out rates and lower grades. To help address the situation, the South Dakota Department of Education launched an attendance awareness campaign last year. The marketing campaign targets parents and students. It’s designed to reinforce the message that students need to show up on a daily basis in order to progress in their learning.

"We all play a role in getting kids to school," said Secretary of Education Joseph Graves. "That holds true whether you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or teacher. We can all share the message with the children in our lives that education is valuable and necessary to becoming a contributing productive member of society."

Educators play a unique role by creating a learning environment that is welcoming and engaging.

Watch and listen for attendance messages on social media, radio stations, billboards, and during the South Dakota High School Activities Association championships. You can also point students and families to https://doe.sd.gov/attendance for more information.