By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Great Bend High School Principal Brock Funke told the USD 428 Board of Education last week that the district can have all the nice facilities and the best teachers in the world, but if students do not show up, it means very little.
Great Bend High School is battling chronic absenteeism. A chronic absence is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year.
The 2024 average for chronic absenteeism in Kansas was 19.8%. The Great Bend High School student population with chronic absences was 47.7%.
"When we asked kids, overwhelmingly the number one thing they say is parents," said Funke. "Students text their parents and say they want to go home because they're not feeling well or they're bored. Parents will call them out of school."
USD 428 as a whole, had a chronic absentee percentage of 28.3% in 2024 as all of the elementary schools were under the state average.
"The other thing that was a big reason why our attendance is what it is...Chromebooks and Google Classroom," said Funke. "Students said it's too easy to be gone. If we're gone we'll hop on our Chromebook, hop into our classroom and turn it in."
Funke said he is garnering feedback from several instructors, administration and committees to improve the High School’s attendance rate. While he is still ironing out the details before he sends them for approval, Funke said policies have to “have some teeth” to them to deter absences.
"I do not want to take things away from kids, but I do think we need to get back to the point of you need to be able to earn some things," said Funke. "For our kids that are here every day and working their tails off, they deserve to be recognized or get to do things. I know some people said a policy addition would be great because they have kids that don't come to school but they're here for activities or clubs. They're getting to do all of the fun things."
Funke also mentioned he wants to start an awareness campaign, create an addition to the handbook, make sure student absences are coded correctly and recognize good attendance.