As September comes to a close, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is highlighting improvements in student attendance across its schools during Attendance Awareness Month. Although attendance rates have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, district leaders note progress and reaffirm their commitment to making further gains.
Dr. Denise Saddler, Superintendent of OUSD, emphasized the shared responsibility for student attendance among students, families, staff, the Board of Education, and community partners. “Attendance is all of our work – students, families, staff, Board of Education, and community partners. We know that attendance is the foundation for success in school and life. Missing just two days per month means missing 10% of the school year. You couldn’t miss 10% of your work time at any job and be OK. And for our young people, being students is their job. It’s their profession to learn, and when they miss school, they miss out on important teaching and learning, quickly falling behind. The more days missed, the harder it is to catch up. Being absent also means missing out on the activities and services our schools provide, such as sports, music, after school enrichment, tutoring, and social emotional support. Every day counts!”
To help encourage regular attendance and make schools more inviting for students, OUSD has invested in upgrading learning environments with help from organizations like Eat. Learn. Play., Trust for Public Land, and the Golden State Warriors. These efforts have resulted in nearly two dozen new elementary school yards throughout the district.
Dr. Saddler detailed upcoming projects: “Eat. Learn. Play. and its partner KABOOM! are redoing the main playground on the Manzanita campus next month. In November, the playground at Emerson Elementary will receive the same treatment.” She noted that these improvements create joyful spaces that motivate children to attend school.
OUSD has also focused on engaging curriculum options for high schoolers through linked learning pathways as well as a variety of extracurricular opportunities such as sports programs and after-school activities designed to support both academic growth and social development.
“I applaud our staff for working hard every day to create learning environments that are exciting, rigorous, and inspirational,” Dr. Saddler said in her message to families across OUSD schools.
She concluded by urging continued collaboration: “Now let’s work together to ensure that more of our students make it to school every day. I am committed to championing attendance at every opportunity.”
For those seeking additional information about absenteeism’s impact on education outcomes or ways to promote better attendance habits year-round—not just during September—resources are available through organizations like Attendance Works.
