The superintendent says Duval leads Florida in the percentage of students who are “habitually truant.” A new program is trying to address that problem.

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. – The city of Jacksonville on Wednesday launched a new program called “Show Up to Shine” to address the problem of absenteeism in Duval County public schools.

According to DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier, Duval County leads the state in the percentage of students who are “habitually truant.”

RELATED: “It’s an attendance crisis”: 34% of DCPS students missed more than 20 days of school last school year

The Florida Department of Education says Florida law defines a “habitual truant” as a student between the ages of 6 and 15 who has 15 or more unexcused absences within 90 calendar days, regardless of whether his or her parents or guardians are aware of it.

Bernier and Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said the program is a call to action for the entire community to help combat the problem.

“If students are not in school, they will not be well prepared to read better, graduate or be as successful as they could be in life,” Deegan said. “When students are present and engaged, it leads to better outcomes for everyone, giving us a more skilled and capable future workforce.”

RELATED | Data shows children are falling behind in school after COVID lockdown | The changing landscape in Duval schools: A look at school-by-school enrollment trends

Deegan explained that the program will include activities and incentives to help address factors that could be affecting a student’s attendance.

Part of that, Deegan said, is increasing understanding of attendance issues within the community.

“You can’t address a problem unless you’re aware of it,” Deegan said.

Bernier called on the community to help the district find more bus drivers, as DCPS is short at least 60 drivers to cover its current routes. She acknowledged that the bus driver shortage is a factor keeping children from getting into classrooms.

Bernier said the goal of the program is to reduce the percentage of students who habitually miss school in the district.

He said this will involve:

1. Recognize good and improved attendance (not just perfect attendance)

2. Engage students and families in the importance of daily attendance

3. Monitoring attendance data practices (and having a centralized tracking system)

4. Personalize communication for those who miss several days a month.

5. Move social workers to work directly with families to remove barriers to care

“This has to be personal, it has to be engaging and it has to be real,” Bernier said.

Deegan said they will work with city-funded after-school programs, United Way and other community groups to identify and address barriers to attendance.

“We need everyone to pull together in this direction, and I know we can make a difference,” Deegan said. “With your support, we can ensure our children are not just in school, but fully engaged and ready for the future.”