THOSE STORIES RIGHT NOW ON MATTER OF FACT. A RECORD NUMBER OF KIDS ARE REGULARLY MISSING SCHOOL DURING THE 2122 SCHOOL YEAR, NEARLY. 15 MILLION STUDENTS WERE CHRONICALLY ABSENT. THAT’S WHEN SOMEONE MISSES MORE THAN 10% OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND IT INCLUDES BOTH EXCUSE. AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES THAT NUMBER IS TWICE WHAT WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. ATTENDANCE DID IMPROVE LAST SCHOOL YEAR, BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY. AND WHILE EVERY STATE HAS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, IT’S MORE PREVALENT IN COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH POVERTY RATES. OUR CORRESPONDENT JESSICA GOMEZ VISITED A VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAD SKYROCKETING ABSENCES AND THEN DECIDED TO RETHINK ITS STRATEGY. WE THERE’S THIS MORNING, WE’RE GOING TO DO SOME HOME VISITS AT FAIRFIELD COURT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. MARQUISE DAVIS, NORMALLY WE DO HOME VISITS WHEN I’M NOT SUCCESSFUL, REACHING OUT TO A PARENT VIA PHONE CALL. MARQUISE IS A FAMILY LIAISON. HIS JOB GETTING KIDS INTO SCHOOL. MR. DAVIS FROM FAIRFIELD ELEMENTARY. THERE ARE TIMES WHERE I MAY MAKE A VISIT AND IT MAY NOT EVEN BE ATTENDANCE FOCUSED. YOU KNOW, IT MAY JUST BE ENGAGEMENT FOCUSED. YOU FEELING YOU OKAY? OR IT MAY JUST BE A RIDE TO SCHOOL. YOU KNOW, TODAY’S PICTURE DAY AS WELL. YEAH, WE WANT THAT RELATIONSHIP TO START WITH THE FAMILIES IN THEIR HOMES, IN THEIR COMMUNITY IS WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS WILL GET US THERE. DOCTOR SHADAE HARRIS IS THE CHIEF ENGAGEMENT OFFICER WITH RICHMOND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE’S BEHIND AN EFFORT TO CHANGE THE WAY THEY VIEW ATTENDANCE HERE, HOW YOU MAKE PEOPLE FEEL MATTERS. IT’S A BIG DOG. HOW YOU FEEL ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH ATTENDANCE, RICHMOND SAW THE NUMBERS SKYROCKET AFTER THE PANDEMIC AT FAIRFIELD COURT, NEARLY HALF OF THE STUDENTS WERE CHRONICALLY ABSENT THAT FIRST YEAR BACK. PRINCE ANGELA, RIGHT. WE NEEDED TO FIND OUT WHY THEY WEREN’T COMING BACK IN THE BUILDING. WHAT’S THAT BARRIER FROM PREVENTING YOU TO COME IN? HOW CAN WE GET YOU IN THOSE DOORS SO YOU ALWAYS ROUND UP THE DISTRICT NOW, KEEPING BETTER TRACK OF WHY STUDENTS ARE MISSING SCHOOL, INCLUDING INFORMATION FROM THE MORE THAN 40,000 HOME VISITS SO FAR. AS MR. DAVIS SAID, FAIRFIELD ELEMENTARY FAMILY LIAISON AND BEEFED UP ATTENDANCE TEAMS CONNECTING FAMILIES WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT MIGHT HELP. I THINK THERE’S THE IDEA THAT IF YOUR CHILD IS MISSING 20, 30, 40 DAYS OF SCHOOL, YOU JUST DON’T CARE AS A PARENT. IS THAT TRUE? IT WASN’T THAT FAMILIES DID NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR EDUCATION, IT WAS THAT THERE WERE REAL BARRIERS IN THEIR LIVES THAT THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH AROUND HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, UM, JOB SECURITY, FOOD SECURITY. IT’S NOT NOT JUST THE 30% OF KIDS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT WHO ARE BEING AFFECTED. NOW. HEDY CHANG IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EDUCATION NONPROFIT ATTENDANCE WORKS, WHICH TRACKS NATIONAL ATTENDANCE DATA AND CONSULTS DISTRICTS ON HOW TO KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL. ONE MESSAGE IS THAT ONLINE LEARNING, JUST BY ITSELF IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO EDUCATE AND SOCIALIZE OUR KIDS. THE SECOND THING IS, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE TOLD FAMILIES STAY HOME FOR ANY SYMPTOM OF ILLNESS AND THAT IS NOT WHAT WE NEED NOW. WE NEED KIDS TO BE BACK INTO A ROUTINE OF GOING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. WHEN THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN, SHE SAYS. LIKE IN RICHMOND, THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, NOT DISCIPLINE. ONCE YOU START WITH PUNITIVE APPROACHES, YOU DRIVE FAMILIES AWAY AT THE VERY MOMENT WHEN YOU HAVE TO FORGE A STRONG PARTNERSHIP. AND WHEN THAT PARTNERSHIP BREAKS DOWN, EVEN RICHMOND JUDGE MARY LANGER IS CHANGING HER APPROACH, MOVING HER COURTROOM TO ONE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS ONCE A MONTH, ORDERING FAMILIES WITH EXTREME ABSENCES TO ACCESS COMMUNITY SERVICES LINING THE HALLWAY BEFORE ISSUING HARSHER CONSEQUENCES. THIS ISN’T A PUNISH YOUR WAY OUT OF IT. IT REALLY IS A TRY TO OFFER SOME SUPPORTS THAT HELPS TO BOOST PEOPLE UP TO TO BE ABLE TO PUT THEIR CHILD IN SCHOOL THE WAY THEY NEED TO BE. YOU SPEAK TO THE LADY WITH THE BALLOON SITTING OUTSIDE. REPORTER THESE STRATEGIES STARTING TO PAY OFF AT FAIRFIELD. CHRONIC ABSENCES HAVE DECREASED BY MORE THAN 50% SINCE THAT FIRST YEAR BACK, AND SMALL CHANGES LIKE A DONATED WASHER AND DRYER AS LONG AS YOU LOOK GOOD, YOU FEEL GOOD. YOU PERFORM GOOD AND FREE HAIRCUTS FROM BARBER BRANDON GOOD SEEMED TO BE MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE. YEAH, IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD BECAUSE IT’S ACTUALLY SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT CARES FOR THE KIDS THAT ACTUALLY THEY WANT THEM TO COME TO SCHOOL AND LEARN. IT’S REALLY JUST JUST SHOWING UP. IT’S REALLY JUST SHOWING UP, SHOWING UP. FOR MARKISE DAVIS, IT’S A LONG TERME STRATEGY. SO KIND OF JUST WANT TO TOUCH BASE. SO WITH THE FIVE DAYS MISSED, IF I CAN MAKE ONE PERSON SMILE, IF I CAN JUST MAKE A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN ONE OF MY FAMILY’S LIVES EVERY DAY, THEN I’VE DONE MY JOB. YES, OF COURSE, IF YOU NEED ME, YOU KNOW, JUST SEND ME A TEXT. GIVE ME A CALL. OKAY. IN RICHMON