Bibb superintendent Dr. Dan Sims says district addressing chronic absenteeism as Monday and Friday absences increase

Bibb County Superintendent Dr. Dan Sims says students need to be at school Monday through Friday.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Bibb County School District Superintendent Dan Sims says chronic absenteeism is an ongoing problem in the district, and officials are rolling out new programs to address the issue.

“Students are missing significant learning when they are not at school,” Sims said.

According to Sims, the district is seeing 1,200 to 1,500 more students missing school on Monday and Friday in comparison to absences on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

“These are kids, they don’t need a 3-day weekend,” Sims added.

Sims said he understands that some students may miss school for illness or other legitimate reasons, but otherwise, kids need to be in school.

“If there are barriers, we need for parents to let us know what the issues are,” Sims said. “That communication line has to stay open.”

Sims added that the district has resources to help families get students to school. In addition to school resources, the district is launching a new series of community events aimed at improving attendance and supporting literacy efforts.

The initiative, called “Meet Me Where You Are,” will bring district leaders into neighborhoods so families can connect with schools in familiar community spaces, including barbershops, the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Macon Mall.

Parents and community members can sign up for summer camps and activities, get testing tips and Georgia Milestones resources, watch student performances and participate in children’s learning activities.

Upcoming events include:

Meet Me at the Barbershop

• Harrell’s & Sons Barber Shop — March 11 at 5 p.m., 1115 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

• Harrell’s & Sons 2 Barber Shop — March 26 at 5 p.m., 3862 Pio Nono Ave.

• Twin Cuts Barbershop — March 26 at 6 p.m., 889 Wimbish Road

• Pokey’s Emperial Barbershop — April 10 at 4:30 p.m., 4500 Billy Williamson Drive

Meet Me at Cherry Blossom

• Carolyn Crayton Park — March 25 at 5 p.m., 150 Willie Smokie Glover Drive

Meet Me at the Mall

• Macon Mall — April 14 at 5 p.m., 3661 Eisenhower Parkway

Sims will also host a virtual meeting to discuss the State of Attendance in the Bibb County School District. He will be joined by a panel of guests to discuss the impacts of chronic absenteeism on student achievement and share resources available to families in the community.