Swain County Schools hosted a community meeting Tuesday evening, September 8, called "Showing up for Swain: Building Our Future Together" at the Swain Middle School Media Center to address student attendance. Superintendent Dr. Brandon Sutton led the discussion with local families, business owners, and community leaders about how missing school impacts student success.

School leaders shared that missing just two days of school a month adds up to about 18 missed days a year, which counts as chronic absenteeism. Officials explained that getting to school every day helps students build good habits that prepare them for future jobs and long-term success in the local workforce. Swain County School is ranked highest in the Western Regional in chronic absenteeism and is ranked 2nd state-wide.

To help solve this issue, the district is launching the Swain Attendance Task Force. This group will focus on working together to:

• Raise public awareness so everyone knows that daily school attendance matters.

• Partner with local business owners to display support window clings and offer rewards for good attendance.

• Build better support systems for families to help tackle common roadblocks like transportation and health access.

Community members and local business owners who want to get involved or join a committee can learn more through the Swain County Schools website at swain.k12.nc.us.