As children hop out of cars in the school drop-off line at Kingswood Magnet Elementary in Cary, they're greeted with music, hugs, and high-fives from school staff.
"I was jealous. Why didn't we have that when I was a kid?," said Janell Mayfield, the mother of a first grader. "He started bopping down the sidewalk."
School social worker Bobbi Hjelmhaug said the school starts every day this way – but it's more than a party. It serves a purpose. This school is trying to promote student attendance in creative ways. Last year, it reported a chronic absenteeism rate of 15% compared to 17.8% in the district, and even higher in the state .
Hjelmhaug said in the past, efforts to combat truancy were usually more punitive.
"Now we're looking at: we want kids to want to be in school. We need that sense of belonging," Hjelmhaug said. "When we do things like that, kids are excited to come. They feel noticed. They feel seen."
She said data show programs that foster belonging actually improve attendance.
Hjelmhaug is part of a new task force at Wake County Public Schools whose aim is combating chronic absenteeism, which is when a student misses 10% or more days in the school year.
"We're a little better than the national average, but we definitely have a ways to go," Hjelmhaug said. "Last year, (in) Wake County, we had a chronic absenteeism rate of 17.8% and we need to do better."
Statewide, that rate peaked in 2022 with more than 500,000 students considered chronically absent. That’s since fallen, but it's still not back to pre-pandemic levels.
Wake County Public Schools has set a goal in its strategic plan for 95% of students to attend school 95% of the time.
"When we saw that number, it was like, ah, how are we going to do it?" Hjelmhaug said.
The district studied its attendance issues, then formed this task force beginning this year. The task force will focus on connecting with kids.
At Kingswood Magnet, this year every child will receive a welcome call from their teacher at the start of the year. And fifth grade teacher Megan Mollin said whenever a child misses school, they'll also get a message.
"I think that message home tells the parent: I'm watching. I am involved in your child's life. I care if they're here or not," Mollin said.
Mollin said, ultimately, if students aren't in school, they can't learn.
"As a teacher, I know when I see that there's an attendance issue, it becomes an academic issue," Mollin said.
The district's attendance task force will be looking to spread other creative solutions to keep kids coming to school.
