September 4, 2019

Carman-Ainsworth Elementary Parents/Guardians,

We hope that everyone has enjoyed the summer as we are looking forward to welcoming each student and family back to school. As we prepare for the upcoming school year we wanted to take this time to discuss the partnership between Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools, the Genesee County Family Court- Family Division, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The partnership focuses on the importance of school attendance and is further commitment in assuring our students and families receive every support available.

Together, the partnership created an Attendance Pilot Program that will be presided over by The Honorable Judge Gadola. Michigan law requires that a person having custody of a child between six (6) and eighteen (18) years of age must send the child to school full time when school is in session. Throughout the school year, you will receive notification if your child misses school. Regular communication between school employees and parents/guardians of students experiencing absenteeism is critical. We want to assist with any challenges that prevent children from attending school, so in-person meetings may be requested. The program focuses on the identification of barriers that negatively affect attendance for the individual student and the student’s family. In identifying these barriers we hope to link resources in our community with the students and families to remove those barriers and ultimately improve attendance.

School attendance is directly linked to academic achievement. Statistics tell us students at the elementary level that are chronically absent perform lower in reading and math and are two times more likely to be retained. Further, statistics explain that for each year a student is chronically absent between the grades of 8 and 12 the dropout rates increase each year (Year 4 = 61.3% dropout rate). A student is considered chronically absent by missing 10% of a school year or two days a month over the entire school year. Absences add up quickly and we want students to get a great start to the school year! 

We are looking forward to partnering with you to ensure that your child receives an exceptional education. Thank you for all that you do to support Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools and our students.

Sincerely,

Eddie L. Kindle, Ed.S.

Superintendent

Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools