BUHLER, Kan. — The Buhler USD 313 School Board heard a report regarding chronic absenteeism during Monday’s agenda session. The report, which is mandated for all school districts, is used to show trends in how much and why students are missing class.

Buhler Superintendent Mike Berblinger says the data shows that the district is addressing the problem, but there are still a few areas of concern:

 

Berblinger says his concern is that chronic absence for students comes when such numbers increase among elementary school students:

 

Berblinger also says that the formula must also include those students who participate in athletic or extracurricular activities, which can skew the numbers:

 

The report shows that there were 90 cases of chronic absenteeism in the high school, 23 cases in middle school and 77 in the six grades that make the elementary school level. Of those 77, 40 came in the first three years of a student’s education.