“To emphasize district enrollment. Right now, average daily attendance drives funding. That punishes a system like ours where only 70 percent of kids are there on a given day.”
“It punishes you?” I repeated. “If only 70 percent of your kids are there, you don’t need as much money.”
“You’re wrong about that,” he said. “None of our costs decline when kids aren’t there. We still need to pay all our staff, purchase all our materials—nothing changes. Truth is, we should be getting added funds because trying to support the students who aren’t there requires extra resources.”
“Wait a minute,” I interjected. “You’re telling me that you want the state to give you extra dollars if your students aren’t showing up?”
He steamrolled my skeptical query. Maybe I should’ve arched an eyebrow. “That’s right,” he explained. “We’re urging the legislature to make the funding formula more equitable.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “You want schools where students show up to get less funding so schools with empty seats can get more? That rewards schools which aren’t doing their job! How on earth is that equitable?”
“We’re focused on the needs of learners,” he said. “When you start talking about ‘rewarding’ schools, it sounds like you think schools have control over whether students come. We don’t. We’re serving marginalized kids in struggling communities. Our students have to work and watch their siblings. Many are homeless. We’ve got migrant students and families living with the legacy of white supremacy culture. Just surviving each day is an accomplishment.”
Uh-huh.
“Look,” I said, “Some kids face more challenges than others. Absolutely. But I don’t buy that schools are helpless. They can ensure they’re worth attending and have staff talk to families or knock on doors. They need to rethink transportation, educate parents, and set expectations. It takes work but it’s doable. Sounds like you’re throwing up your hands and telling me no one ought to be held responsible.”
He shook his head. “That’s a very simplistic, very privileged view of the situation,” he sputtered. “Maybe you’re not familiar enough with what we’ve learned about anti-racism, but it sounds a lot like you’re blaming the powerless for their plight. We’re here to serve them, not blame them. And it’s not just about making kids come to school. We need to appreciate how complicated their lives are and respect community norms.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “I thought we agreed that truancy was a problem. Heck, given compulsory education, it’s kind of illegal. But expecting kids to come to school is disrespectful?”