A social media threat, flu could cost Fort Worth state dollars
About half of South Hills High School’s students were absent on Jan. 31 after a social media threat and hundreds were out at McLean 6th Grade and Washington Heights Elementary in December because of the flu — dramatic drops in attendance that could cost Fort Worth schools money from the state.
The Fort Worth school board will review a district request to seek an attendance waiver from the state for the absences. The issue is listed on the board’s Tuesday meeting agenda.
The amount of money the district could potentially lose was not available on Friday.
“Attendance at Washington Heights Elementary, McLean 6th and South Hills exceeded what we considered to be normal levels of absence,” said Clint Bond, spokesman for the school district, in an email Friday.
The district’s board agenda materials state that on several days before the end of the first semester, the flu resulted in low attendance at McLean 6th and Washington Heights Elementary. Both schools experienced several days in which attendance fell below 10 percent compared to the same day the previous year, according to the district.
There were more than 100 students absent for three days straight at McLean 6th Grade during the week of Dec. 10. The campus has about 500 students.
At Washington Heights, 95 students were out on Dec. 7, according to the district. There are about 330 students at the school.
The district responded to the flu threat in several ways, Bond said.
“Custodians were more mindful of giving priority to cleaning common areas,” Bond said. “We are always promoting washing of hands and getting flu vaccinations.”
At South Hills, the attendance rate was 54.3 percent on Jan. 31, when a former student threatened the school. The district agenda item states that the rate was “due to a social media post that caused an excessive number of students to call in absent.”
The high school’s student enrollment is listed at 2,069.
Typically, students and parents don’t contact schools before an absence, but they often bring an excuse after the fact, Bond said, adding that this is the case even though the district’s attendance policy changed this year.
“All students are expected to be in school every day,” Bond said. “Absences that exceed a certain amount are required to be considered by the students attendance committee so that is where excuses come into play.”
Trustee Ann Sutherland represents District 6, which includes McLean 6th Grade and South Hills High School. Sutherland said she is worried about students using social media for threats. She is also worried about young people using social media to post fights or wrestling matches.
“I am concerned about the impact of some social media such as this and its impact on the school environment,” Sutherland said in an email. I don’t know what to do about it.”
The school board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at at the Fort Worth school district’s board complex, 2903 Shotts St.
This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 4:39 PM.
