MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) Attendance has always been an issue for schools, but Covid broke the link between education and in-person attendance. Since Covid, truancy has been an increase concern across the United States and Mitchell is not immune to that national trend. To combat attendance issues and truancy, the Mitchell School District obtained a $750,000 grant and went to work in the second semester of the 2023-2024 school year.
An Attendance Liaison has been hired to help families overcome the issues that are standing in the way of their children attending school regularly. The Mitchell Schools are working to develop clubs and extra-curricular activities that will be of interest to students as an incentive to attend and do well in school. In addition, increased emphasis has been placed on in-person relationships between students and adults as a way to foster increased attendance.