If you’re looking for 16-year-old sophomore Caleb Philmon, chances are you’ll find him in class. He, along with nearly 8,400 other K-12 students at the Council Bluffs Community School District, is a part of a new initiative that helps make regular school attendance a top priority for student learning, connections and overall success.
The “Attend Today, Achieve More Tomorrow” campaign was launched in Council Bluffs this school year to address chronic absenteeism and promote the importance of student attendance in a proactive and positive way. Through planned efforts, such as promotional materials, student incentives, community partnerships, regular communication with parents and more, students like Caleb have a better understanding of how regular attendance can impact their academic performance and their future.
“Everyone wants to have good grades,” Caleb said. “Attendance is one of the most important parts of having a high GPA. You can’t even try to work hard if you don’t show up in the first place and get the information and instruction you need.”
Chronic absenteeism is typically defined as missing 10 percent or more school days in a grading period. Supporting the work of students, families, educators, and community partners to improve attendance, Iowa answered a nationwide challenge to reduce chronic absenteeism across the state by 50 percent over five years. In 2018-2019, 12.7 percent of Iowa students were chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism reached 25.6 percent in 2021-2022 and is down four percentage points over the past two years at 21.6 percent in 2023-2024.
Enacted into state law through Senate File 2435, Iowa public school districts must adopt an attendance policy and follow steps when a student is determined to be chronically absent. The Iowa Department of Education also provides technical assistance to school districts on chronic absenteeism and how to code for absences and supports school communities in removing barriers to attendance, including health, safety, housing security, other basic needs, and transportation.
“Regular attendance can positively impact a student’s academic learning and skill development as well as their connection to their school and peers,” said Sarah Seney, administrative consultant at the Department. “Iowa public school districts are dedicated to investing in attendance growth to support long-term student success.”
At Council Bluffs, administrators have prioritized student attendance for several years. But with the new emphasis on chronic absenteeism, they have ramped up their efforts even more, collaborating with fellow district educators, parents, students and local community partners.
“We wanted to move forward in a more strategic and proactive way with how we address student attendance,” said Vickie Murillo, superintendent for Council Bluffs. “It was important to look deeper and to have engagement from teachers and principals from each of our school buildings as well as from parents and the community. This is how the ‘Attend Today, Achieve More Tomorrow’ initiative was born.”
The collaborative campaign initiative includes several marketing and promotional materials that have helped spread the word about the importance of regular attendance at school. Through a donation from the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation, the district was able to create engaging signage, digital billboards, videos and public service announcements. Many of the materials feature student peer influencers, such as Caleb, to help reach others.
“I like the catchphrase that we are using for the campaign, and I know a lot of other students have heard me talk about it,” Caleb said. “I have been able to be a part of some of the videos, too. I’m not afraid to give my classmates reminders to get to class.”
Through the campaign, students also receive incentive materials for good attendance, like pencils, water cups, snacks, gift cards and stress balls. School buildings in the district have used the incentive items to reward students through raffle drawings, magnets and signage on lockers and in-class food celebrations.
“The Council Bluffs Schools Foundation has been very supportive of our campaign, providing $20,000 in funding to support our promotion and incentives for kids,” said Tim Hamilton, chief of Student and Family Services at Council Bluffs. “It’s been a great way to get the students involved and excited about coming to school.”
For Council Bluffs, the promotion of regular school attendance doesn’t stop with the students. They have also taken several steps to target parents and increase communication around the topic.
“We continue to communicate via email with parents each month on their student’s attendance,” Hamilton said. “We provide an update on where the student is with absenteeism and if there is a concern. Our goal is to provide as much support as we can for the student and their family.”
Additionally, Council Bluffs has found a valuable partner in their efforts to reach parents and students within their district. They are collaborating with their local Hy-Vee Food Stores to provide coupons each quarter to students and their families who have regular attendance and have not missed more than 10 percent of the school schedule. After the first quarter, parents received a coupon for 10 percent off of their grocery cost, and students received a free dozen cookies from the bakery. At the end of the semester, even more families were rewarded with a 50-cent per gallon Hy-Vee Fuel Saver discount for parents and a free 16-ounce milk for students.
“Hy-Vee was very excited to be a part of this campaign, and they play an important role in our success,” Murillo said. “They have kids from our schools who work in their stores, so they are an invested partner. They have provided support, tracked coupon redemption data for us and are open to other ways of being involved.”
Over 6,000 letters with coupons were sent out to families in Council Bluffs in December. More than 1,200 coupons have been redeemed so far.
Along with the metrics received from Hy-Vee, Council Bluffs is continuously reviewing data and information collected on student attendance in the district. Each week, the administrative team reviews district trends, and reports have shown positive growth in the first quarter. The two high schools showed an increase in student attendance by 5 percent, and the middle schools grew by 3 percent. The rates at the elementary schools remained steady, with nearly 91 percent of students attending regularly.
“We are seeing all of our schools moving in the right direction, so we know that these efforts are impactful,” Murillo said. “With higher student attendance, we will see academic achievements and graduation rates increase, and students will ultimately be more successful. Attendance will continue to be a focus for us in the years to come.”
Council Bluffs acknowledges the hard work and commitment it takes to address student attendance. However, the results they are receiving makes it worthwhile, whether that is seeing an increase in attendance rates or hearing how it is affecting student understanding, ambition and achievements.
“For me, the attendance initiative reflects on my character,” Caleb said. “I’ve taken steps to make this the best academic year for me and that includes coming to school each day. I love school.”