Irene Reither Elementary School is on a mission to improve regular school attendance, which has declined statewide since 2020. Defined as missing no more than two days of school per month, regular attendance is a key indicator of student success.
While Meridian School District was near 94 percent prior to 2020, attendance dropped dramatically during the 2021–22 school year. According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), regular attendance is closely linked to reading proficiency, on-time graduation, and early identification of student disengagement. Building strong attendance habits in elementary school lays the foundation for success later in school and in life.
At Irene Reither Elementary, the goal is simple but meaningful: help every student feel excited to come to school each day. Principal Tyler Dockins often says he wants kids to “run to school,” a reflection of the joyful and welcoming environment the staff works hard to create. This culture of belonging is built through strong relationships, engaging instruction, and consistent family outreach.
“When we show up, we grow. Strong attendance builds friendships, strengthens belonging and creates a life full of choices. It’s also how we model perseverance and trustworthiness as teammates, colleagues and friends,” Principal Dockins said.
Irene Reither Elementary is committed to creating a school environment where students feel valued and motivated to show up each day. This year, students have the opportunity to earn Meridian Mindset awards. These monthly recognitions are tied to the Meridian Mindset traits of being caring, courageous, trustworthy and open-minded.
During grade-level assemblies, school leaders celebrate students who exemplify these qualities. Teachers nominate students and the awards serve as a meaningful way to reinforce positive behavior and create a sense of belonging.
The school goal is 90 percent of students with 80 percent or better regular attendance. The previous day’s attendance rate is written and displayed daily for families and students to see, and a bulletin board in the school lobby is tracking monthly attendance rates for each grade.
To support this goal of improving school attendance, a dedicated attendance team—which includes school secretaries, the family services team, school nurse, counselors, and building administrators—meets regularly. They look at students who are not meeting that 90 percent attendance rate and work to determine what barriers could be preventing students from getting to school. A staff member is assigned to follow up with the family to see how they can support.
Alternatively, if they see a positive trend of a student improving attendance, they will also call the family to celebrate this achievement.
Bilingual Attendance Secretary Daisy Valladares remarks that the school has seen an improvement due to their efforts.
“We have seen a positive trend and I really do think it’s the focused attention on attendance and the positive communication on behalf of the attendance team,” Ms. Valladares said.