Schools Struggle with Attendance Recovery Post-COVID

Attendance rates in schools across Prince Albert face significant challenges as they continue to recover from the impact of COVID-19. Research indicates that students who attend school at least 80 to 90 percent of the time are more likely to succeed academically. However, local school divisions have reported attendance rates dropping as low as 65 percent since the pandemic began, with slow progress toward recovery.

Lorel Trumier, Director of Education for the Prince Albert Catholic School Division (PACSD), noted that the decline in attendance has been evident since the pandemic hit. “Our overall attendance of students with at least 80 percent attendance pre-COVID was 80 percent. The drop in attendance was most notable in the 2021-2022 school year, with 68 percent of students achieving 80 percent attendance,” she explained.

In the subsequent year, PACSD saw a gradual rebound, with 72 percent of students meeting the attendance benchmark. This trend mirrors the situation in the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division (SRPSD). Superintendent of Schools Garette Tebay reported that attendance rates plummeted from 82 percent in 2019 to 65 percent in 2021. While recent figures show a recovery to approximately 72 percent, these numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels.

To address chronic absenteeism, SRPSD has assembled a team of administrators, teachers, social workers, and mentors to implement evidence-based strategies aimed at improving attendance. Their focus includes enhancing student engagement and developing targeted interventions to further increase attendance rates.

Trumier highlighted that PACSD is also taking proactive measures by formulating a priority action plan. This plan aims to engage parents as partners, providing them with strategies and insights to support their children’s attendance. Additionally, the division is piloting a curriculum outcomes process that clarifies expectations for students.

The reasons behind the ongoing attendance struggles remain unclear. Both school divisions are actively seeking to understand this issue further. The challenges of chronic absenteeism extend beyond Prince Albert. In the North East School Division (NESD), which includes Melfort, attendance among K-12 students has dropped from over 90 percent before COVID to below 80 percent in recent years.

NESD’s agenda for its school board meeting indicated a troubling decline in students attending 90 percent of the time, falling from an average of 78 percent before the pandemic to just 53.3 percent between 2021 and 2025. This decline is contributing to widening learning gaps and reduced student achievement across the division.

When asked about the implications of lower attendance rates in Prince Albert, Trumier emphasized the correlation between attendance and student success. Historically, lower attendance has been linked to diminished academic performance. Despite these challenges, PACSD’s graduation rates continue to surpass provincial averages in most categories, indicating that the division is still achieving notable success against the backdrop of these attendance concerns.