Show LIONS LION'S COMMITTEE REPORT Absent Students Cost Your Schools Schoos Editors note The following report was prepared by the Ver Ver- Ver Vernal nal Lions Lion's Club Schools an and Athletics committee in m an ef- ef effort ef fort to inform the public of how much absenteeism from public schools is costing taxpayers in lost revenue The article was written by Frank Walker bas bas- based based ed on Information from flom the Uin- Uin Uintah Uintah tah School District office The report was under the supervision supervision ion of Garth Batty commit commit- committee tee director Lowell Wardle chairman and other committee members SCHOOl ABSENCE AND ITS COSTS Absence of students from school has always been a pro pro- problem problem blem of major concern for school officials This should not only be a school concern but it would be a real concern of the taxpayer if he only were aware of how much money Uintah School District loses each year because of unnecessary absen absen- absence ce MANY STUDENTS will miss ten twenty or even thirty days of school in one year and ap ap- ap apparently think little of it it While on the other hand there are students who graduate from high school who have perfect at at- at attendance for all three years The latter Ire are those who really save their parents the tax pay pay- payers ers money Much of the money Uintah School District spends for ed- ed education education comes from the state as a result of the state equal equal- equalization equalization formula This equalization tion formula as adopted by the State legislature guaranteed each district per distribution distribution tion unit in 67 1966 a distri- distri button bulion unit emit Is 27 students In average daily attendance amount of money Uintah School District could rec receive I from the Slate approximates HOWEVER as indicated this depends on average daily at attendance and in 1966 1906 amounted to an estimated per stu dent per day To make this real i every day a student is isI I absent from flom school it actually costs the district When one considers the whole year enl the average daily attendance was 95 per cent of those enrolled Thus we lost 5 per cent At this thi rate days of school would make a total absence of days or 57 57 I lost because of absence I THERE ARE many things which might be considered in I thinking of this problem Surely all of the students cannot be in attendance all of the time There are days and periods of real sickness when students should be absent It is much better for a child who ho has an infectious cold to miss a day or two of school than to conic come cometo to school and expose half a class and have ten or twelve students ill and absent The School District provides a ahome ahome home teacher to visit and in- in instruct instruct students who are home home- homebound bound for longer periods be be- because cause of illness Under this condition the student is not counted absent WE AS parents might do much to avoid much unnecessary unnecessary sary absence by seeing that our children are properly dress dress- dressed ed during cold weather getting breakfast and eating properly and getting the sleep needed to I maintain good health All of I theca the e and ami many other bash basir I ll's if ob observed I Would help to avoid unnecessary ill I Iness ness and ab absenteeism However rr it Is not the j jable able absence that w we are tally concerned with as tax pavers but it is th the approximately 40 nor cent of high school and lun tinn I for high school ah appears to bl be avoidable fi We need of shat hat nEe more awareness it means to the whole school choo and our educational tips ties We n need less selfishness I and ard hotter planning so it may rot be necessary ry to keen a aI I home to help helo quite as asI I often if at all all Students need ned I to study 1110 more regularly and so thy they llo do n not t have ha I an urge to remain out of school for a day to catch up THE RECENT Incident of deer hunting could be a t typical example of the real problem I IWas Was it necessary for stu dents to be absent from high school on Monday 1 or for 75 stu stu- stu students dents to be absent Tuesday when one half day had been provided on Friday to al al- al allow low whole families to reach their hunting area ara before the season began These absences cost Uintah School District lost this amount in just two days at one school through questionable absence We can go on as we have been doing or we can take a second look nt at an easy way to save a about bout one half of the 57 lost yearly in the District We only suggest that you per consider what you can cando cando do Its It's your money and your our children |