When Marcy Burroughs became superintendent of Sumter County schools in August 2023, she quickly realized that the rural Alabama district had an absenteeism problem.
More than 40% of the district’s students had been chronically absent – meaning they missed 18 or more days of school – in 2022-23, the most recent year of data available.
This August, Burroughs is armed with new strategies to try to get students in the classroom. She decreased the number of excused absences parents can write for their children, from 20 to five. And she plans to reward students with improved attendance with free tickets to sporting events.
Superintendent Marcy Burroughs speaks to a group of Sumter County parents and community members in Livingston, Alabama, on Aug. 8, 2023. Rebecca Griesbach/AL.com
“We just want to jump start them to make sure that they’re getting to school every day and on time,” Burroughs said.
Many …