At a school board meeting on Wednesday, South Callaway principals reported their continuing efforts to increase attendance.
Improving attendance rates was the main conversation of South Callaway's board meeting on Nov. 13. Superintendent Kevin Hillman said South Callaway received a C rating last year on the new MSIP5 standards. MSIP5's attendance status quo is that 90 percent of students are in school 90 percent of the time.
Corey Pontius, South Callaway Elementary School principal, reported a 95.5 percent attendance for December with 92 percent of students have attended school at least 90 percent of the time or more.
"Right now we're ahead of the curve from where we were last year," Pontius said.
Attendance incentives have become popular at the elementary level, Pontius said. Students who meet attendance requirements are designated attendance leaders. Those who meet the attendance goals have their names placed in a drawing, which garners excitement from the children when the winners' names are called.
"They were pounding on the floor like a drum roll," he said.