The good news: Under the State’s leadership, Little Rock School District employee absenteeism is at a five-year low.

The bad news: 52% of LRSD employees still missed ten or more days for Sick, Personal, Vacation, Leave Without Pay (LWOP), Other. Throw in Professional Development, (PD) and it’s 67%.

				Sick, Personal, Vacation, LWOP, Other	Sick, Personal, Vacation, LWOP, Other
		Sick, Personal, Vacation, LWOP, Other	Sick, Personal, Vacation, LWOP, Other	AND PROF DEV	AND PROF DEV
FY	TOTAL EMPLOYEE COUNT	TOTAL EMPLOYEES >=10 Excluding PD	Percentage Emp >=10	TOTAL ABSENCE >=10	PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES W/ABSENCES >=10
2018	3,684	1,929	52%	2,462	67%
2017	3,765	2,099	56%	2,522	67%
2016	3,933	2,423	62%	2,768	70%
2015	3,986	2,485	62%	2,766	69%
2014	4,023	2,404	60%	2,650	66%
5-YR AVG	19,391	11,340	58%	13,168	68%

Over two-thirds of the district’s employees are away from their responsibilities – students – ten or more days a year. Even more egregiously, most are on contracts of ten months of less.

The first rule of any job is showing up. So when chronic teacher, staff absenteeism far outpaces that of students, learning cannot take place.

By the way, chronic absenteeism for students is – you guessed it – missing ten of more days in a year.