Staff in Coppell Independent School District schools are manning the phones more the normal these days.
The district is cracking down on students not showing up at school for reasons other than being sick.
"Hey, the weather was bad today, so it was easier to keep our kid home," or, "You're making good grades. You're doing fine. We stayed out late. Just go ahead and miss today" are some of the things they say parents are saying to explain absences.
Superintendent Brad Hunt says those kinds of callouts have put a huge hole in the district's budget, which is already so low they're considering closing a school campus next year.
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"We're turning over every stone we can to try to generate as much revenue as we can. And when we came with the realization that a one-point increase in our attendance could be close to $1.3 million that was eye-opening to us," said Hunt.
If the district can get kids to come to school when they are healthy, it can save $1.3 million. They're sharing the data with parents and students, creating incentives for showing up.
Principal Cooper Hilton at Wilson Elementary showed us the data. His biggest offenders are pre-k, and new parents who view school at this level as an as-needed thing.
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"This is real school. You know, it's pre-kindergarten, it's not preschool, it's not a daycare, it's not a babysitter. We have high academic standards," said Hilton.
You'll find attendance numbers everywhere on his campus.
The district is launching a whole campaign, pushing that attendance matters academically and financially another million dollars to help keep supplies, curriculum and even schools from getting cut.
