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MENLO PARK, Calif. — Forty minutes. That is how lengthy it took Laura to stroll from her residence to her highschool two blocks away one sunny April morning.
Attending to the classroom has been a wrestle for college students like Laura, 15, who simply completed her freshman 12 months at East Palo Alto Academy (EPAA). She has had coronary heart palpitations and problem sleeping because the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Her nervousness is worse on days when her finest buddy will not be in school. She was absent from one class 28 days in the course of the 2022-23 college 12 months. We agreed to not publish Laura’s actual identify, to guard her privateness.
Previously, Laura’s mom Yadira Mederos De Cardenas, a preschool instructor at All 5 in Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood, would have referred to as in Laura’s absence to the highschool. However having already missed so many work days this previous college 12 months — a couple of week per thirty days of labor to take care of her youngsters — she put her foot down.
“I stated, ‘Sorry your buddy just isn’t right here; I will drop you off, and I can name the advisors and allow them to know what occurred, and you are able to do courses within the workplace,'” stated Mederos De Cardenas
For a very long time, take a look at scores have slumped at faculties within the space, which lies within the shadow of Stanford College and neighboring rich Silicon Valley college districts on the opposite aspect of Freeway 101. However final college 12 months, one thing else regarding occurred: there was an enormous bounce within the variety of college students who weren’t coming to high school in any respect.
Laura is among the many skyrocketing variety of college students within the East Palo Alto space during the last two years who’ve been chronically absent, which the state defines as lacking 10 p.c or extra of the varsity 12 months. The state started gathering and publishing continual absenteeism information from faculties in the course of the 2016-17 college 12 months.
East Palo Alto Academy, a small constitution highschool, noticed a continual absenteeism price of 199 out of 355 college students (56 p.c) in the course of the 2021-22 college 12 months, based on state information. Numbers improved this college 12 months, with 111 of 290 (38 p.c) college students chronically absent as of mid-Might, based on Sequoia Union Excessive Faculty District information.
The Ravenswood Metropolis Faculty District, which has about 1,600 college students in its elementary and center faculties (excluding charters) in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, noticed continual absenteeism spike from simply 471 out of two,549 (18.5 p.c) in the course of the 2018-19 college 12 months to 846 out of 1,637 college students (51.7 p.c) in 2021-22.
This one district is only one instance of a nationwide problem. In 2021-22, 6.5 million extra college students throughout the U.S. missed no less than 10 p.c or extra of college days than in 2017-18, based on an Attendance Works evaluation.
The colleges within the Ravenswood district serve an particularly numerous, low-income space of the Bay Space. Some 86 p.c of scholars within the district in the course of the 2021-22 college 12 months met the definition of socioeconomically deprived, which implies that they’re eligible without spending a dime or diminished priced meals or have mother and father or guardians who didn’t obtain a highschool diploma. Almost 47 p.c of district youngsters have skilled homelessness. At EPAA, 81 p.c are from low-income households.
College students miss out on basis abilities that influence them eternally after they miss college, together with studying to socialize with their friends, stated Sara Stone, Ravenswood’s assistant superintendent of educating and studying.
“When college students are chronically absent, it doesn’t matter what the problem is, you are lacking out on studying,” she stated. “Faculty is about giving youngsters the keys to the locks which are going to be in entrance of them of their lives.”
Youngsters who’re chronically absent in preschool, kindergarten and first grade are a lot much less possible to learn at grade degree by the third grade, based on U.S. Division of Training information. College students who can not learn at grade degree by the tip of third grade are 4 instances extra possible than proficient readers to drop out of highschool, based on the Division of Training.
Alex stated that college students who’re chronically absent “very simply fall behind.”
“Contemplating within the district that lots of college students are behind in studying degree or math degree, it is very straightforward for them to fall behind much more. Numerous college students are behind by a number of grade ranges.”
Simply 6 p.c of scholars met or exceeded the maths requirements in 2022. Solely round 12 p.c met or exceeded the English language arts (ELA) requirements.
College students carried out higher in 2019, with 18 p.c assembly state requirements for ELA and slightly below 12 p.c assembly requirements for math. In 2018, scores have been larger nonetheless, with 24 p.c of scholars assembly ELA requirements and 15 p.c assembly math requirements.
Ravenswood trustee Bronwyn Alexander instructed the board in June that when absenteeism charges are this excessive, it’s going to instantly mirror in take a look at scores.
The Ravenswood district doesn’t preserve an in depth database on the causes of scholars’ absences. As a substitute, missed days are recorded and marked as excused or unexcused. Notes on absences are saved inside particular person pupil data, however the districts don’t preserve such notes constantly.
Why College students Are Absent
Ravenswood district officers attributed the rise in absences this previous fall and winter to the so-called “tridemic” of RSV, flu and COVID-19, particularly amongst younger youngsters. Faculty officers have inspired college students to not come to high school after they really feel sick so they do not expose different college students.
“Clearly our goal is that each pupil comes to high school frequently and no college students are chronically absent, however on this world by which we’re dwelling, we would like our college students to really feel secure, wholesome and safe,” Jennifer Gravem, govt director of Academic Providers with Ravenswood Metropolis Faculty District, stated this previous winter.
Pre-pandemic, sickness was all the time the highest purpose for pupil absences, stated Emily Bailard, CEO of EveryDay Labs, a Redwood Metropolis-based startup that helps faculties nationwide cut back pupil absences and has labored with the Ravenswood district. Illness nonetheless solely accounts for about half of absences at faculties her group labored with this previous college 12 months.
“Portraying absences merely as illness-related is lacking half of the image,” she stated. “Significantly this 12 months, as college insurance policies round COVID or sickness are so much much less strict.”
Ravenswood Superintendent Gina Sudaria concurs that there are a lot of causes for pupil absences. Sudaria stated the district deliberate to spend this summer time discovering the basis explanation for why college students have been chronically absent from courses.
“We’re all the time consistently making an attempt to construct a stronger college tradition,” she stated. “In actuality, we additionally don’t desire youngsters coming to high school sick due to COVID. We do not need excellent attendance anymore. We do need to be conscious of their psychological well being points.”
College students are feeling extra socially anxious than earlier than lockdown, based on Stone. Faculty officers are working to assist them, together with permitting college students to go to quiet areas for breaks, and to be a “tiny bit” late to high school, fairly than punishing them for not being on time. They’re additionally working with households to designate a trusted grownup for college students to speak to in the course of the college day.
“We as a society acquired scared to be in public collectively due to our well being,” Stone stated. “It is a legitimate factor. We probably instilled extra concern in them (youngsters) than was crucial.”
Bailard stated psychological well being challenges are manifesting into larger charges of tension, which ends up in college refusal — outlined by the Youngsters’s Well being Council as repeatedly balking at attending college or staying there.
There are additionally prosperous households who really feel extra prepared to tug their little one out of college for a trip, or journeys to go to household to make up for what youngsters missed out on in the course of the pandemic, she stated.
“The norms round going to high school and acceptable causes to overlook college have simply basically shifted,” Bailard stated.
EPPA Principal Amika Guillaume stated college students at her college who perpetually miss courses are fighting their psychological well being or household challenges. There are additionally college students juggling college with 30 hours or extra of labor per week to assist their households pay lease.
Except for sickness, adults who’re fighting their very own psychological well being or different sicknesses have hassle bringing their youngsters to high school, stated Alex, who works within the Ravenswood district however requested to not be named to guard her job.
“Some (college students) are dissatisfied and acknowledge the very fact they’re falling behind,” Alex stated. “It is robust to see from the angle of, I am there to help them and so they do not actually have lots of management over (lacking college).”
Unreliable transportation can be an impediment for attending to the classroom. Gravem recounted a case by which the times a pupil was lacking have been those after they weren’t at residence and have been staying with an uncle.
Want for Extra Psychological Well being Assets
Almost a 3rd of Silicon Valley’s center and highschool college students reported experiencing continual unhappiness, and one in eight report having thought-about suicide, which is alarmingly excessive, based on the 2023 Silicon Valley Index, which measures the area’s financial system and group well being.
In 2020, at 16.2 p.c, East Palo Alto had the very best price within the county of residents who stated they struggled with poor psychological well being for 2 weeks or extra during the last month, based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
Mederos De Cardenas stated EPAA affords few psychological well being helps to her daughter and her household cannot afford to pay for remedy.
She herself has all the time struggled with nervousness and panic assaults, but it surely’s gotten worse because the pandemic, she stated. She contacted three completely different therapists however could not afford them so she has a month-to-month remedy session together with her psychiatrist as an alternative.
EPAA Principal Guillaume acknowledged the scarcity of remedy companies.
Nonetheless, the constitution highschool is healthier resourced than others. There are two psychiatry fellows and three remedy interns from Stanford who work half time on campus. The varsity additionally has a full-time social companies supervisor.
All 5 govt director Carol Thomsen stated her early childhood studying heart, which is subsequent to Ravenswood’s Belle Haven Elementary Faculty, is exclusive in that it has a counselor out there to workers and households onsite on Mondays via One Life Counseling Middle.
“It lessens the stigma,” stated Thomsen. “It is one of the best we will do for now. Sadly, they (the counselor) do not converse Spanish.”
The state itself is dealing with a scarcity of behavioral well being staff. A 2018 report by the College of California at San Francisco predicted — even earlier than the pandemic elevated want for such companies — that by 2028, demand for psychological well being suppliers can be 40 p.c larger than provide.
Cultural Boundaries to Psychological Well being Care
Stigma round speaking about or in search of therapy for psychological well being struggles is an ongoing barrier for care within the Ravenswood group, stated Fong of San Mateo County Well being.
Alex, who works in Ravenswood district lecture rooms, stated she works with lots of college students who come from households of colour the place psychological well being just isn’t mentioned.
Ethnic minorities are inclined to entry psychological well being companies at a a lot decrease price than their white friends, based on 2009 analysis. Latinos have been discovered to be about half as possible as white women and men to entry these companies after they want them, based on a 2018 nationwide survey.
Behaviors realized in the course of the pandemic are additionally contributing to absences. Mederos De Cardenas stated she continues to observe quarantine insurance policies put in place in the course of the pandemic. Even when her 4-year-old Nicolas is not feeling sick, she retains him residence if one among his siblings is ailing, to guard his classmates in case he is contagious however is not exhibiting signs but.
“It is one thing I am engaged on, fascinated with sooner or later if I ought to ship him,” she stated. “My emotions have been completely different earlier than the pandemic.” As a instructor, she stated she calls mother and father to search out out a couple of pupil’s sickness and wouldn’t say, “Do not convey them in” if their siblings have been sick and so they weren’t.
She stated in Mexican tradition it is the mom’s duty to handle youngsters.
“I am extra knowledgeable about my tradition and dealing on the way in which I used to be raised,” Mederos De Cardenas stated. “I’ve this job that I tremendously love and I do not need to lose it.”
She stated she’s additionally pulled her youngsters out of courses in the course of the college 12 months to journey to Mexico to see household, particularly since her father died 4 years in the past. She now solely plans to journey to Mexico in the course of the college 12 months for emergencies.
“I need to be a job mannequin,” she stated. “The state of affairs (absences) is impacting my two youngsters in school — I remorse it and being residence with them. … There’s simply this trauma from the pandemic.”
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