Parents usually acknowledge the importance of having their child in school from a learning standpoint, but many don't realize that if their student's seat is empty, it costs the school money, too.
In Texas, districts plan their budgets around average daily attendance, or ADA. Superintendents pull attendance data from the past five years to plug into their projected budgets each year. If attendance is down, it affects the bottom line of how much money districts receive to spend on teachers, supplies and necessities for the classroom.
Ronnie Thompson, superintendent at Liberty-Eylau Independent School District, said his district spends approximately $5,500 each year per average student, that is, a student without special needs.
"That's if they're here every day," he said, adding that funding varies across the state from $4,000 to $12,000 per student.
"The formula is based on local property values and what you get from the state," Thompson said. "But here's the caveat: It used to be if you were in a high-growth area and you had a lot of businesses in your area, you were getting more money as a district because your tax base was higher. But that doesn't exist anymore. If my tax base gets higher, then the state gives me less money because I'm drawing in more from local money, so they give me less. I will only get the $5,500 per kid."
The formula was set by the Texas Legislature several years ago, he said.
"It doesn't matter if we're growing in property values or not growing in property values. That's what I'm getting," he said. "They basically put more on your local taxpayer."
Thompson said he budgeted 2,251 ADA for the 2017-18 school year. As of the third six weeks, it was 2,269. The higher figure brings more money to the district, he said, which could be used to hire additional staff and teachers or expand programs.
"That's good to be in that position to know that more revenue is expected to come in than what you projected in the budget," Thompson said. "That helps you plan accordingly."
At Texarkana Independent School District, the ADA for the third six weeks is 6,492, with a total enrollment of 7,152. The district spends about $5,359 annually on each student who does not have special needs.
Deputy Superintendent Autumn Thomas said it is important for parents to ensure their children are in school, not just because there will be gaps in learning, but also to shore up the district's finances.
"ADA affects the 50 percent of state funding for our formula," she said. "If that's impacted, we have to adjust our budget.
"If ADA goes down, we can't offer programs and all the things students need. The ADA and student attendance is so important for education and also for us to be able to appropriately fund our districts and our campuses."
Districts have incentive programs in place to encourage attendance, including computerized systems that call if a student is absent or tardy. They also use contests and perfect-attendance flags and certificates. At some TISD schools, principals place a chalkboard by the drop-off line with the day's ADA goal on it to remind parents of the importance of attendance.
Superintendent Dr. Jason Smith said Pleasant Grove ISD spends $5,869 annually per average student. A 1 percent drop in ADA would cost the district $123,600, he said.
"Every day of instruction, there are things that the teachers will cover that just cannot be taught outside the classroom environment. There's an experience that is important to the learning process," he said. "Also, there is a monetary implication for the school district. For every day that student is absent, the district does not receive funding for that student."
If a student is out sick, districts do get paid if the student provides a doctor's excuse for the absence.
"If they bring that note in, we still get paid for the student," Smith said. "Not all parents understand that either. If the student is sick, be sure to get a doctor's note signed by a physician."
While ADA affects funding for Texas districts, in Arkansas, superintendents look at a snapshot of enrollment to plan their annual budgets. Superintendent Dr. Becky Kesler of Texarkana, Ark., School District said they look at how many students they have in the third quarter of the previous year to plan the next year's budget.
"Our enrollment has been steady over the past five years," she said.
The district receives $6,646 in foundation funding annually for each student. Enrollment is 4,173, but the district gets funded for only 4,030 students, as some are in
the Arkansas Better Chance grant program for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Kesler said the state determines the amount the district receives each year. She added that though students' daily attendance did not affect the district's budget, it was still imperative for them to attend classes.
"It's important because we are held accountable for the testing at the end of the year and throughout the year," she said. "There's a lot of accountability for districts in Arkansas. If they're not in the seat, they're not going to learn."
Attendance is always a big concern in the spring semester, Kesler said, because that's when schools in Arkansas give the ACT Aspire tests. That is one reason TASD will soon introduce the Every Minute Matters program in schools to encourage perfect attendance.
"We're pushing for kids to be in the seats. From bell to bell, you can't learn it if you're not here," she said.
The district also has created a promotional video and posters to advertise the Every Minute Matters message.
"At this point in the game, we can't afford to lose any time," Kesler said.