No more ice cream for increased API scores. No more fun “junk” sponsored by the school. No more low class sizes. This could happen because of the Average Daily Attendance.
From August to March, the government takes the ADA of the school. Depending on the number of students who attend school, the school receives the money. If there are students who are absent, then the school loses money.
“The way that the schools receive the money is if students come just to one period each day, and then it all adds up. If they don’t, we don’t get the money,” Principal Ms. Deborah Hawkins said.
In the last school year, there had been salary cuts and teachers were given pink slips due to the recent recession.
“Last year we noticed 106 certificated employees. Fortunately, we were able to bring all but 2 back for this school year,” Superintendent Kevin Brown said.
Last year, the government gave each school in the Rocklin Unified School District $42 dollars for each day. This year, it’s $37. It was reduced by five dollars because of the recession and the recent budget cuts, so schools receive less money.
“Unfortunately, this leads less paper to print out for classes, and larger class sizes,” Hawkins said.
If WHS has 1550 students, and if the school reduces absences by just .02%, which means that 3 students come to school, the school generates about $3,875. If 14 students came to school, then the school would gain $15,500. If every single one of the 1550 students would come to school, they would earn $57,350. If every student had perfect attendance, the money that is earned would be $7,914,300.
The overall attendance at WHS from the 2008-2009 school year averaged to be 94.32%. Just increasing it just by .01% would greatly increase the money they get from the government and the school would be able to provide more educationaly materials.
However, since the H1N1 flu hit, the principal is asking parents to keep their children at home, because they don’t want students to come in sick. Even so, having students come to school is a great benefit on their part.
“The money we get from students going to school is great, but it means even more to us if the kids come to school. It means that if the kids are coming to school, they aren’t missing their classes, and if they aren’t missing their classes, they are in their classes, learning. And that just might lead to less No Marks, and a greater academic success,” Hawkins said.
BY ANJELICA CARPIO-NOVOA
