October 25, 2024
As students complete the first nine-week grading period of the 2024-25 School Year, Prince George County Public Schools' campuses show positive trends in school attendance as students and families continue to demonstrate healthy, regular attendance habits across our elementary and secondary-level campuses.
As of the end of the first nine weeks, South Elementary School had the highest building attendance rate at 95.7 percent. David A. Harrison Elementary School was second overall among elementary schools with a first nine weeks building attendance rate of 95.2 percent, followed by both Middle Road Elementary and North Elementary at 95.1 percent, and L.L. Beazley Elementary at 94.8 percent.
J.E.J. Moore Middle School, home to the district’s sixth and seventh grade students, carried a first nine weeks building attendance rate of 94.9 percent, closely followed by N.B. Clements Junior High school and Prince George High School at 94.8 percent and 94.3 percent respectively.
In addition to the majority of Prince George County Public Schools' campuses having average daily attendance rates well above 95 percent, the division has hundreds of students who remain on track for perfect attendance. In total, 1,949 students ended the first nine weeks of the school year with perfect attendance. When looking at elementary schools, Middle Road Elementary had the highest number of students with perfect attendance at the conclusion of the first nine weeks with 247. The Eagles were followed closely by North Elementary with 202 students and Harrison Elementary with 193 students with perfect attendance. L.L. Beazley Elementary and South Elementary School finished the grading period with 149 and 142 students with perfect attendance, respectively.
At the secondary level, comprising 6th to 12th grade students, a total of 1,008 completed the first nine weeks of the school year with perfect attendance. Moore Middle School and N.B. Clements Junior High School nearly tied in the category as the grading period concluded with Moore Middle having 284 perfect attendance students, and Clements tallying 291 students. Among Prince George High School’s 10th through 12th graders, 433 students at the campus have perfect attendance as the second nine weeks grading period begins.
Consistent school attendance ensures that students do not miss out on important lessons and discussions, which can impact their grades and overall academic success. Additionally, being present in the classroom allows students to interact with their peers and build important social skills.
Started in 2023, “Be Here PG!,” the district’s attendance awareness initiative seeks to highlight our community's critical role in fostering good attendance habits. The program provides information and resources for families and facts about the impact of absences throughout a child's academic career through school-level messaging, social media, fliers, and other communications.
The initiative also encourages students and families who are facing attendance challenges to reach out to their child’s school for support and ways to help their child get back on track and avoid becoming chronically absent. A student is considered chronically absent when they have missed ten percent or more of the enrolled school days. Prince George County Public Schools has 177 days scheduled for students, meaning when a student misses 17.7 school days, they will be considered chronically absent, regardless of the reason for the absences.
Connecting with families early when absences begin to mount is a critical step in addressing chronic absenteeism and fostering healthy attendance habits. Studies show approximately half of students who miss two to four days of school in September go on to miss nearly a month of school during the year.
To view these attendance resources, including the district’s attendance-focused FAQ page, visit the “Be Here PG” website at http://www.pgs.k12.va.us/beherepg and on the district’s Facebook page.