DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Since the start of the pandemic, the Dallas ISD has seen a sharp drop in attendance. Now, the district is doing all it can to get those students back.
The district says overall, attendance typically hovers around 95 percent ... but it's dropped to 91 percent during the pandemic. That's roughly 6,000 additional absent students.
"We know that many of our teachers have done a phenomenal job," says Robyn Harris, Director of News and Information for the Dallas ISD. "We are just adding an extra layer of support to some of the efforts that have already transpired."
That extra layer of support is taking the form of Operation Comeback. Harris says it's designed to get students back on track.
"It's just an effort to reengage those students who may have fallen off," she says. "To let them know that we still want to see them, we miss them, and we'd love to help them get back on track."
The operation includes post cards, emails and, starting this Saturday, door-to-door visits from district staff. Harris says it allows staff to identify obstacles keeping students from class ... while letting them know they are missed.
