Over the past two years, Birmingham City Schools has reduced chronic absenteeism by nearly 50%, down to 14% this year versus 29% in 2023.
WVTM NBC-13 visited Hayes K-8 today to talk with Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan about the improvements in attendance as well as the on-going Winter Intersession.
The trend in decreasing chronic absenteeism is also reflected in attendance for Winter Intersession, with approximately 6,000 out of more than 20,000 enroll students showing up for the optional school period.
"Kids can't learn if they're not in school, and I think part of the reason why we've seen great improvements academically in our system is because we are making sure that our kids are in school," said Sullivan.