A meeting at the Rome High School College and Career Academy on Wednesday brought together students, parents, and school officials to discuss student absenteeism, an issue affecting schools throughout Georgia.
The session included members of both the Superintendent Student Advisory Council from Rome High and Rome Middle Schools and the Parent Advisory Council. The goal was to gather input from students and parents on ways to address attendance challenges in the district.
“When you turn on the news, you hear a lot of conversation about Senate Bill 123. You hear conversations about kids at homeschool, kids at this school, and kids at that school. For Rome City Schools, the number one indicator tied to school achievement is students coming to school,” said Dr. Eric L. Holland, Superintendent of Rome City Schools. “The real concern for us is elementary and middle school. The law says that if you are six to 16, you must come to school. When those students are not coming to school, that is a serious issue.”
Senate Bill 123 is a new Georgia law intended to reduce chronic absenteeism by encouraging schools with high absence rates to examine underlying causes and create plans that remove barriers for students attending class. Instead of relying solely on punitive measures, it calls for collaboration among families, staff, and schools through attendance review teams.
“Senate Bill 123 is a new Georgia law that focuses on reducing chronic absenteeism by bringing schools, families, and staff together in a more collaborative way. A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10 percent of the school year, which equals 18 days, even if those absences are excused with medical or parent notes,” said Kaitlyn Wilson, District Social Worker for Rome City Schools.
Wilson also highlighted the importance of clear communication between families and schools when reporting absences: “We have a lot of interventions when students begin missing school. Parents need to make sure to communicate with the school when your child is absent,” she said. “We want this to be a collaborative approach so that everyone knows what’s going on.”
During the meeting, participants worked in groups—each table received prompts related to attendance issues—and shared their ideas with all attendees.
Sara Beth Bushnell, a sophomore at Rome High School who presented her group’s feedback said frequent absences can lead students to fall behind academically as well as miss social opportunities: “You also don’t get to see your friends, and if you miss school, you end up not being able to exempt your exams and maybe even miss out on field trips as well.” She noted factors such as heavy workloads or mental health challenges could contribute.
Justus Washington, a junior at Rome High School added: “I think having parents talking to kids about how their day went and asking about what they are doing in school would be a big help because it shows they care and that school is important.”
Rome City Schools staff collected suggestions during the discussion while reminding participants about their role in sharing information within their communities.
“If we really want to help students and parents, we have to work together. Everything that has been put in place is good but we have to execute it. When you leave here today as the Student Advisory Council you have to help us help the student body,” Dr. Holland told attendees.“That means encouraging attendance creating welcoming spaces talking with your teachers talking with your principals and talking with parents That is how we make a difference.”
