By Lisa Magers/CISD Community Services

Terry Wade is an attendance officer with an attitude.

That attitude is one of compassion and concern for the 1,670 Cleburne High School students he feels responsible for each day.

Wade’s efforts to involve local businesses, agencies and community leaders in an attendance and emergency needs initiative at the campus are helping many students make school the priority it must be in order for them to succeed.

“There’s nothing more important than attendance,” Wade said. “You can’t get to first base in learning, in keeping a job, without good attendance. The best students are those with good attendance.”

“The first thing employers look at when our students apply for a job is their attendance record,” he said. “It’s not the A’s, B’s and C’s they look at first. They want the person who came to school. They are the ones who will report to work and can be trained.”

As a former businessman, Wade knows the importance of a good work ethic— reporting to the job, on time, each day.

As a former junior high principal and a high school administrator, he knows the importance of digging below the surface when it comes to a student concern.

“As I investigate an attendance problem, that’s when we learn other things,” Wade said. “The family may have no water, no food. The student is working to help put food on the table or provide transportation for himself so he can get to school and a job.

“So many reasons come into play as you search for the reason students are repeatedly missing a class or entire days of school. Some children are working 55 hours a week outside of school.”

Early in his truancy role, Wade learned that student needs must be addressed to improve attendance. Through this, he has discovered a new calling, as the school’s unofficial social worker.

“We are trying to address the needs of students, and it’s coming through the attendance program,” he said. “Students can’t attend school when food, clothing and shelter are in jeopardy. Lack of these items creates emotional and stressful conditions that make attending and performing at school impossible. With the help of local businesses and organizations we have been able to address some emergency needs involving students and their families.”

Wade refers to one CHS student helped by the attendance and emergency needs initiative.

“We have a 16-year-old student who works 50 hours a week at a local fast food restaurant to support her 10-year-old brother and disabled father,” Wade said. “They were living in an abandoned trailer with no water or electricity. She came to me asking if I could help her locate better living conditions and with clothing for her family.”

“I don’t know how she is able to work 50 hours a week, attend school and take care of her father and brother,” he said. “Thanks to several concerned citizens and a local agency, we were able to provide them with a better place to live and address some other issues.”

Wade has also been provided with help through initiative program supporters to recognize students for perfect attendance.

The objective of the rewards program is to move average daily attendance past the 97 percentile each six weeks and improve student performance.

For the past two six weeks grading periods, students with perfect attendance have been entered into a drawing to win gift cards, with one lucky winner receiving a grand prize, such as a television or a laptop computer.

“Key elements to great attendance should contain insight, in getting to the root of the problem, as well as motivation. If you don’t have a plan for recognizing attendance, you won’t be effective. We are one of a few schools being pro-active in addressing attendance in a positive way.

“We have punitive measures to address truancy and attendance violations. There are laws in place for that. But we also need to recognize good attendance. We want to give them some positive motivation and get them excited about what they are doing in school now and excited about their future.”

There was a lot of excitement in the school office recently as 21 members of the student body recording perfect attendance for the second six weeks were recognized as winners in an attendance initiative rewards ceremony.

Junior Robert O’Dell generated the most excitement after learning his name had been drawn to win a laptop computer.

“I don’t have one,” he said. “I know this will be really helpful once I get to college.”

O’Dell, who plans to begin his post-secondary education at Hill College, with hopes of becoming a firefighter, said he rarely missed a day of school.

“I don’t like to miss,” he said. “I have to work at my grades, and when I miss a class, it puts me behind. I don’t miss unless I’m really sick.”

Senior Hillary Hagan admits to hating makeup work. When she misses school, she also misses her friends.

“It’s better when you’re at school,” she said. “You can talk to your classmates about the homework or class assignment the day it’s assigned. Most of the classes I have are advanced classes. Most of the kids in those classes really don’t like to miss.”

Other elements in Wade’s attendance success formula are support, in the form of encouragement from home, coupled with guidance.

“A student must have a clear vision for their life,” Wade said. “Many of the students we are trying to help are hard-working individuals who deserve a better life. We want to try to help them through a difficult period. But we also want to encourage them to stay in school and graduate.”

Wade’s work with the business sector includes invitations to the high school to talk to students about jobs and careers.

“We want our students to know more about the skills, education and certifications required for various positions in their company or industry,” he said. “Interaction with the community helps our students. They need to hear from someone besides teachers and principals that you have to graduate from high school before you can go to a job that will really interest you.”

Contributors to the CHS Attendance Initiative have included Gillam, Wharram and Associates, Dugger Brothers, Cleburne Eye Clinic, Marti Foundation, Hazelwood Foundation, Jostens and several anonymous donors.

For information about the attendance initiative, call Wade at 817-202-1200.