Prairie Crossing Charter School Students tops in attendance

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Updated: April 4, 2012 1:50AM

There were no promised ice cream or pizza parties offered as incentive during Attendance Week. However, 98.8 percent of Prairie Crossing Charter School’s student body showed up the week of Oct. 24 to 28, giving the school the highest attendance percentage of all 80 participating schools.

“We were lucky this year. We haven’t always been at the top of the list,” said Prairie Crossing Charter School Executive Director Nigel Whittington.

Last year, Prairie Crossing Charter School was ranked in ninth place in the Small Elementary School category with 97.44 percent attendance.

Attendance Week is a directive of Positive Alternative Student Services (PASS) within Lake County Regional Office of Education.

The 2011 Attendance Week, held Oct. 24-28, was PASS’s 23rd annual event. The top schools were announced earlier this week.

“Youngsters need to realize if you’re not in school, you’re not learning. That should start at an early age,” said Roycealee Wood, regional superintendent of schools.

About 80 schools participated in the 2011 Attendance Week, she said.

“We have 220 buildings. I wish they would all participate, but more and more seem to do it all the time,” Wood said.

Participating schools are divided into four categories: Small Elementary with less than 450 students; Medium Elementary for 450 to 650 students; Large Elementary with more than 650 students and high schools.

Prairie Crossing Charter School’s 98.8 percent attendance rate was higher than the winning schools in the other categories. Washington Elementary won the medium category with 97.44 percent attendance. Frederick School won large elementary with 97.63 percent attendance and Lake Zurich High School had 95.94 percent attendance.

Whittington said Prairie Crossing did what it always does to garner its high attendance levels.

“I think we do what all good schools do — we make it an interesting and exciting place to come. We also partner with our parent,” Whittington said.

Wood said that events like Attendance Week give youth something to get excited about.

“I’m particularly proud of North Chicago High School. I think everything is getting stronger for them It helps the schools in addition to helping the kids in how they need to improve,” Wood said.

North Chicago High School’s attendance rate of 86.64 percent ranked them eighth out of eight participating high schools, but principal Eric Gallagher said that school attendance was up about 12 percent compared to last year.

“We participated in Attendance Week because we feel it’s very important to emphasize attendance,” Gallagher said. “Attendance is important. If you can’t get kids in the building, they can’t be successful.”

He attributed the school’s attendance climb in part to a new Positive Behavior Intervention program that rewards students for coming. The program gives students the tools they need to make plans and execute a plan of actions.

“We create positive experiences for kids so they can get to school on time, get a good night’s sleep and develop a plan. We teach them the expectation and the skills,” Gallagher said.