(CFJC Today/File photo).

By Aaron Schulze

Student Absenteeism

SD73 student absenteeism returns to normal levels in February

Feb 28, 2022 | 7:59 AM

KAMLOOPS — Student absenteeism in School District 73 (SD73) returned to near normal levels in February.

A report from Rhonda Nixon, SD73 superintendent, shows absenteeism rates from Feb. 1 to 18, surpassed historical rates over the last year twice.

Figures in the Feb. 28 SD73 regular board meeting also show 10 days of student absenteeism being below the historical average and one day with no difference.

The dip in SD73 student absenteeism comes after 16 days in January surpassed the historical average, peaking at 23 per cent of the student population being absent on Jan. 21.

Barriere Elementary was the only school that exceeded Interior Health’s absenteeism limits for Feb. 17, which resulted in sending out a letter to the community.

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Teacher absenteeism slightly decreased in February, peaking at 167 on Feb. 18, although only five of those positions didn’t have a substitute for the day.

The report also shows no single-day functional school closures due to staffing shortages in February, compared to three in January. Nixon states that rural schools in SD73 have had more challenges in filling unfilled positions, although strategic placement of teachers on-call into assignments at Barriere Secondary, Chase Secondary, and Haldane lessened the impact on students.