Durham Public Schools is facing a stubborn attendance problem, with district officials reporting that roughly 37% of students are frequently missing class. Leaders say attendance has not bounced back since the pandemic, slipping about four to five percentage points from the 2018–19 school year. Average daily attendance now hovers near 89%, short of the district’s own benchmark. In response, Durham is trying a different playbook, shifting from punishment to prevention and leaning hard on wellness supports and early intervention to bring students back into classrooms.
Speaking to ABC11, Dr. LaVerne Mattocks‑Perry, who heads Student Support Services for DPS, said, "We have seen for a number of years our chronic absenteeism is increasing and our average daily attendance is decreasing." The district describes the 37% figure as students who are "frequently missing class" and has set an internal benchmark of 92% attendance, with a longer-range goal of reaching 95% by 2028.
Inside Durham’s Wellness-First Game Plan
The district’s approach is detailed in a recent packet presented to the school board, which lays out a suite of concrete changes. Those include school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) coaches, restorative-practice centers, co‑located mental-health services, designated "Student Wellness Days" and trauma-informed training for administrators intended to cut back on exclusionary discipline. The full strategy appears in a Durham Public Schools board presentation available through Durham Public Schools.
Statewide Context And Root Causes
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of required school days and has launched its AttendNC effort to help districts track early-warning indicators and highlight promising practices. State guidance and related research point to a familiar mix of pressures behind the problem, including housing instability, caregiver work schedules, transportation barriers and unmet mental-health needs that can combine to pull students away from regular attendance.
Families Press For Faster Action
Parents at recent public meetings have pushed district leaders to move more quickly. One parent, Andres Macias, told ABC11 that "the kids are dealing on a day-to-day basis with the tensions" and argued they need safer conditions in and around schools. Board members, for their part, have called for annual attendance reporting, stronger supports in large middle and high schools, and a Durham-wide attendance campaign that would back up the school-level work already underway.
What Comes Next
District leaders say they will lean on early-warning dashboards, targeted family outreach and ongoing program evaluations to track progress toward the 95% attendance goal. The Board of Education plans to monitor both data trends and on-the-ground implementation in upcoming meetings. More information and the full board packet are available on the Durham Public Schools website at Durham Public Schools.
