Central Texas students' absences cost districts millions

Education is a key issue for parents, children, and aspiring scholars alike. For this reason, I found this article, published by the Austin American Statesman, particularly interesting. Through a study performed by the E3 alliance, it has been found that Central Texas schools are losing millions of dollars in funding, just by a few student absences. During a time in which the state continues to cut funding, such money is key in providing the best education for students. To improve attendance, and thus increase funding, Austin and other areas have launched programs to reduce absences. Employing techniques as varied as home visits, student video contests, and even automated wake-up calls from celebrities, such attempts to increase attendance have shown success. If children are not attending school, obviously they cannot learn. Thus, it is key to minimize absences not only to improve their future, but also guarantee the funding necessary to help them graduate and achieve their goals. As these pupils will one-day lead our state, such money and quality of education is key, especially as the state continues to reduce funding.