MENLO PARK, Calif. — Forty minutes. That is how lengthy it took Laura to stroll from her house to her highschool two blocks away one sunny April morning.
Attending to the classroom has been a battle for college kids like Laura, 15, who simply completed her freshman yr at East Palo Alto Academy (EPAA). She has had coronary heart palpitations and issue sleeping because the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Her anxiousness is worse on days when her finest pal will not be at college. She was absent from one class 28 days through the 2022-23 college yr. We agreed to not publish Laura’s actual title, to guard her privateness.
Prior to now, Laura’s mom Yadira Mederos De Cardenas, a preschool trainer 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 yr — a few week per 30 days of labor to take care of her youngsters — she put her foot down.
“I mentioned, ‘Sorry your pal 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 lessons within the workplace,'” mentioned 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 facet of Freeway 101. However final college yr, 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 over the past two years who’ve been chronically absent, which the state defines as lacking 10 p.c or extra of the varsity yr. The state started amassing and publishing continual absenteeism knowledge from faculties through the 2016-17 college yr.
East Palo Alto Academy, a small constitution highschool, noticed a continual absenteeism fee of 199 out of 355 college students (56 p.c) through the 2021-22 college yr, in keeping with state knowledge. Numbers improved this college yr, with 111 of 290 (38 p.c) college students chronically absent as of mid-Could, in keeping with Sequoia Union Excessive Faculty District knowledge.
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) through the 2018-19 college yr 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 challenge. 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, in keeping with an Attendance Works evaluation.
The faculties within the Ravenswood district serve an particularly numerous, low-income space of the Bay Space. Some 86 p.c of scholars within the district through the 2021-22 college yr met the definition of socioeconomically deprived, which signifies that they’re eligible free of charge or decreased priced meals or have dad and mom 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 impression them eternally once they miss college, together with studying to socialize with their friends, mentioned Sara Stone, Ravenswood’s assistant superintendent of instructing and studying.
“When college students are chronically absent, it doesn’t matter what the problem is, you are lacking out on studying,” she mentioned. “Faculty is about giving children the keys to the locks which can be 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 doubtless to learn at grade degree by the third grade, in keeping with U.S. Division of Schooling knowledge. College students who can’t learn at grade degree by the tip of third grade are 4 occasions extra doubtless than proficient readers to drop out of highschool, in keeping with the Division of Schooling.
Alex mentioned that college students who’re chronically absent “very simply fall behind.”
“Contemplating within the district that plenty of college students are behind in studying degree or math degree, it’s extremely simple 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 mathematics 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 just below 12 p.c assembly requirements for math. In 2018, scores have been greater nonetheless, with 24 p.c of scholars assembly ELA requirements and 15 p.c assembly math requirements.
Ravenswood trustee Bronwyn Alexander advised the board in June that when absenteeism charges are this excessive, it will straight replicate in take a look at scores.
The Ravenswood district doesn’t hold 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 information, however the districts don’t hold such notes persistently.
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 once 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 wherein we’re dwelling, we wish our college students to really feel protected, wholesome and safe,” Jennifer Gravem, government director of Instructional Providers with Ravenswood Metropolis Faculty District, mentioned this previous winter.
Pre-pandemic, sickness was at all times the highest purpose for pupil absences, mentioned Emily Bailard, CEO of EveryDay Labs, a Redwood Metropolis-based startup that helps faculties nationwide scale 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 yr.
“Portraying absences merely as illness-related is lacking half of the image,” she mentioned. “Significantly this yr, as college insurance policies round COVID or sickness are rather a lot much less strict.”
Ravenswood Superintendent Gina Sudaria concurs that there are a lot of causes for pupil absences. Sudaria mentioned the district deliberate to spend this summer time discovering the foundation explanation for why college students have been chronically absent from lessons.
“We’re at all times continuously attempting to construct a stronger college tradition,” she mentioned. “In actuality, we additionally don’t desire children coming to high school sick due to COVID. We do not need good 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, in keeping with 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, relatively than punishing them for not being on time. They’re additionally working with households to designate a trusted grownup for college kids to speak to through the college day.
“We as a society bought scared to be in public collectively due to our well being,” Stone mentioned. “It is a legitimate factor. We probably instilled extra worry in them (youngsters) than was crucial.”
Bailard mentioned psychological well being challenges are manifesting into greater charges of tension, which results 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 youngster out of college for a trip, or journeys to go to household to make up for what children missed out on through the pandemic, she mentioned.
“The norms round going to high school and acceptable causes to overlook college have simply essentially shifted,” Bailard mentioned.
EPPA Principal Amika Guillaume mentioned college students at her college who perpetually miss lessons 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 hire.
Other than sickness, adults who’re fighting their very own psychological well being or different sicknesses have bother bringing their children to high school, mentioned Alex, who works within the Ravenswood district however requested to not be named to guard her job.
“Some (college students) are upset and acknowledge the actual fact they’re falling behind,” Alex mentioned. “It is robust to see from the attitude of, I am there to assist them they usually do not actually have plenty of management over (lacking college).”
Unreliable transportation may also be an impediment for attending to the classroom. Gravem recounted a case wherein the times a pupil was lacking have been those once they weren’t at house 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, in keeping with the 2023 Silicon Valley Index, which measures the area’s economic system and neighborhood well being.
In 2020, at 16.2 p.c, East Palo Alto had the very best fee within the county of residents who mentioned they struggled with poor psychological well being for 2 weeks or extra over the past month, in keeping with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
Mederos De Cardenas mentioned EPAA gives few psychological well being helps to her daughter and her household cannot afford to pay for remedy.
She herself has at all times struggled with anxiousness and panic assaults, however it’s gotten worse because the pandemic, she mentioned. She contacted three totally different therapists however could not afford them so she has a month-to-month remedy session along 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 government director Carol Thomsen mentioned 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,” mentioned Thomsen. “It is the perfect we are able to do for now. Sadly, they (the counselor) do not communicate Spanish.”
The state itself is going through 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 greater than provide.
Cultural Obstacles to Psychological Well being Care
Stigma round speaking about or in search of remedy for psychological well being struggles is an ongoing barrier for care within the Ravenswood neighborhood, mentioned Fong of San Mateo County Well being.
Alex, who works in Ravenswood district school rooms, mentioned she works with plenty of college students who come from households of colour the place psychological well being just isn’t mentioned.
Ethnic minorities are likely to entry psychological well being companies at a a lot decrease fee than their white friends, in keeping with 2009 analysis. Latinos have been discovered to be about half as doubtless as white women and men to entry these companies once they want them, in keeping with a 2018 nationwide survey.
Behaviors realized through the pandemic are additionally contributing to absences. Mederos De Cardenas mentioned she continues to observe quarantine insurance policies put in place through the pandemic. Even when her 4-year-old Nicolas is not feeling sick, she retains him house if considered one of his siblings is in poor health, 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 mentioned. “My emotions have been totally different earlier than the pandemic.” As a trainer, she mentioned she calls dad and mom to seek out out a few pupil’s sickness and wouldn’t say, “Do not carry them in” if their siblings have been sick they usually weren’t.
She mentioned in Mexican tradition it is the mom’s duty to deal with youngsters.
“I am extra knowledgeable about my tradition and dealing on the way in which I used to be raised,” Mederos De Cardenas mentioned. “I’ve this job that I tremendously love and I do not need to lose it.”
She mentioned she’s additionally pulled her youngsters out of lessons through the college yr 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 through the college yr for emergencies.
“I need to be a task mannequin,” she mentioned. “The scenario (absences) is impacting my two youngsters at college — I remorse it and being house with them. … There’s simply this trauma from the pandemic.”
