SJSD offers incentive to parents at schools with lower attendance
By Jazmine Knight
Parents at four St. Joseph schools that struggle the most with attendance will have a new incentive for making sure their kids get to class this year.
Carden Park Elementary, Lindbergh Elementary, Robidoux Middle School and Lafayette High School parents will be competing for two opportunities to earn a $500 gift card, one in December and another in May, as part of a new attendance challenge.
For the 2023-24 school year, Lindbergh averaged a 63.52% attendance rate. Lafayette ended with 64.25%, Carden Park ended with 69.98% while Robidoux ended with a 71.74% attendance rating.
Currently, each school has a $6 attendance budget per student. Ashly McGinnis, assistant superintendent of academic and education services, said these particular schools likely struggle with attendance due to different demographics.
“They have some unique challenges and there’s high poverty throughout all of St. Joe, but probably a little bit more in those particular schools,” she said.
The district is able to conduct this challenge with the help of a generous $4,000 community donation.
“It’s fantastic, McGinnis said. “It shows that our community, our businesses, our parents even want to see our school district be successful. I think they see the value in that.”
To qualify, individual students must maintain a 90% or above cumulative attendance percentage throughout the school year. They also must be enrolled by Sept. 3, 2024.
McGinnis said it’s important for parents to understand that they are the ones who have to take charge when it comes to getting their child to school.
“Either by taking them personally or getting them on the bus, or even just encouraging them, even forcing them to go to school every day,” McGinnis said. “We hope that this is enticing for our parents to see that there is value in education and there’s importance in showing up every day.”
Winners will be notified through PowerSchool. Parents will have 48 hours to claim their prize before a second drawing takes place.
Parents should make sure their information is up to date with their child’s school if participating in the challenge.
