The Socorro Independent School District celebrated three schools that achieved the highest attendance for the first six weeks of the 2024-25 school year.
On Sept. 17, principals at Jose F. Carrasco Elementary School, Options High School and O'Shea Keleher Whole Child Academy were surprised with a Team SISD highest attendance traveling trophy. The award was presented for the first time to recognize the top three schools in the district with the highest number of students attending school regularly from Aug. 5 to Sept. 13.
The trophies will continue to travel every six weeks to the campuses with the first, second, and third highest attendance levels until the end of the school year, promoting healthy competition and a strong commitment to regular attendance.
"This was a great surprise," said Sgt. Jose F. Carrasco Elementary School Principal Jesse Aguirre. He attributed the school's 97.3% attendance score to the hard work of his staff and the support of parents in the community. The school had the highest attendance in the district during the first six weeks.
“We have an attendance team that really puts together the incentives and promotion of attendance, and our community (knows) that school is important. (They) come to school every day and make it count,” Aguirre said.
The awards are part of SISD’s ALL IN for Attendance, an incentive program for students and teachers. SISD introduced the program this fall to increase daily school attendance by recognizing and rewarding students for consistent attendance and acknowledging the principals and teachers who support them.
Interim Superintendent James P. Vasquez delivered the trophies to the campuses along with SISD administrators. He said the district wanted to ensure that students attended school every day to continue their academic progress.
“It promotes learning,” Vasquez said. “We want to continue to move the ball forward in terms of our academic performance, and we can't do that if the kids aren't here. So, it's really important to make those efforts to bring kids to school every day.”
Incentives such as hosting "Donut Friday" and other celebrations helped Options High School achieve a 97.2% attendance rate, the second-highest in the district.
Principal Dr. Theresa Hentges said that ensuring high attendance is a top priority for the alternative school, especially since many students face challenges such as credit loss.
"About 99% of them have a loss of credit, so there is a widespread history of attendance issues," Hentges said. "But if you put the emphasis there with the kids and show them that there are benefits to being here every single day, it helps. I think it's helping turn the ship."
Aguirre, Hentges, and Laura Garcia, the principal at O'Shea Keleher Whole Child Academy, emphasized their determination to keep the traveling trophies at their schools by maintaining the highest attendance numbers in the district.
O'Shea Keleher earned third place with a 96.8% attendance rate. Garcia said that the school not only rewards the entire school for their attendance with popcorn on Fridays, but it also recognizes individual students with certificates for perfect attendance. She emphasized that having good relationships with parents was also important to ensuring that students attend school every day.
“We have a very hardworking staff,” Garcia said. “We have teachers and aides who really love children. And as part of the Whole Child Academy, it's part of our mission to make sure that our scholars are here every day and that they love coming to school.”