SAN ANTONIO – Northside Independent School District is working hard to track down students who aren’t showing up to class.
Christine Martinez, student attendance liaison for Northside ISD, is part of the team trying to bring students back to the classroom.
“We want to offer help. We want to be the person to bridge that gap as to why they’re not going to school,” Martinez said.
Martinez said she has made about 400 home visits this school year.
Some things the district offers families during these visits include food, clothes, WiFi devices, iPads, and counseling opportunities.
“There was a home visit that we conducted earlier this morning. The family has two students in the fifth grade in elementary school, and they’re at 100 days of absences for the school year,” Martinez said.
Martinez said the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of so many families in this district.
“There’s just no motivation. They’ve lost their house. They’ve lost their jobs. They don’t have clothes,” Martinez said.
A juvenile case manager also goes with Martinez to home visits to offer additional support to families.
“They have their reasons as to why they’re not going to school. The next step is to be in school tomorrow or request a meeting. Get that doctor letter signed if you need to,” Martinez said.
Martinez said students could make up hours online, and others may have to attend summer school. She will keep visiting homes until the end of the week.
“We just want them back at school. We want them to be successful,” Martinez said.
She said other resources available for families include online tutoring, childcare, plus rent and medical assistance.
To learn more about the different resources at NISD, call the Office of Student at Advocacy and School Choice at 210-397-8695 or email sasc@nisd.net.