Local Barnegat Businesses Chip In To Boost School Attendance

by Patricia A. Miller

The Barnegat Township School District and local businesses have collaborated to make regular attendance in school a priority.

"Our attendance was always pretty good," Superintedent Karen Wood said. "We can always do better. Kids can't learn if they aren't in school."

But the initiative is also important because higher attendance can translate into more state funding for the Barnegat district, she said.

The state recently changed attendance monitoring from an October "snapshot" to looking at daily attendance throughout the school year, she said.

And that can affect school district funding, Wood said.

"We have a very precarious budget," she said. "We are trying to find ways to boost attendance, so we are not burdening the taxpayers."

The district is working in tandem with local several businesses such as Sweet Jenny's, Lefty's, and the Barnegat Diner to hike attendance at in each of the district's six schools.

"A lot of local businesses have been very supportive," Wood said.

Students receive incentives such as gift cards, ice cream, and breakfast at the diner in support of perfect attendance.  The school district's PTAs also provide incentives to win prizes, including iPads, she said.

The Board of Education will honor the participating businesses at the Jan. 7 board meeting and present the improved participation rates, Wood said.