Baltimore City students return to classrooms as district targets attendance
Thousands of students across Baltimore City made their way back to school Monday morning.
Dr. Jermaine Dawson, who started as the district's CEO on July 1, said his focus for the year is increasing attendance numbers by providing wraparound support for every student.
"If a student is out, we are consistent in calling that child. If a student is out for multiple days, then we have a staff that's deployed to reach out to the family," Dr. Dawson said. "Whether it may be a safety concern or whether it may be if they don't have supplies or things of that nature, mitigate those issues so they can be in school each and every day."
A Baltimore City Public Schools spokesperson said the district had 53 teacher vacancies, which required substitutes on the first day.
Working to improve attendance rate
According to the Maryland Department of Education, Baltimore City had an 80% attendance rate in 2025, which is lower than the state goal of 94%.
Principals told WJZ that attendance is key for their students to succeed.
"I'm just happy to have them here," Amanda Rice, principal of Hazelwood Elementary and Middle School, said. "Attendance is everything. Bring them to school; we need them."
District leaders celebrated Katherine Johnson Global Academy for increasing attendance in the fourth quarter of last school year. The school won the mayor's attendance challenge by decreasing chronic absenteeism by more than 20%.
"This is a testament to what we can do as a school community when we put our minds behind making monumental change, making monumental growth, and supporting all of our students every single day," Ryan Stokeling, principal of Katherine Johnson Global Academy, said.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said if students were not in class on the first day, they need to show up for the second day.
"Bring them tomorrow, or we'll come looking for them," Scott said. "There's no excuse for them to be at home unless they are really sick. They need to be here to learn."
Efforts to boost student achievement
Along with attendance, Dr. Dawson said he hopes to boost student achievement numbers this year.
According to district data, only 12% of high schoolers were proficient in math in the 2024-2025 school year. As for reading and writing, 43% were proficient in the same year.
In 2026, state data shows nearly 14% of high schoolers were proficient in Algebra 1, while 33% were proficient in all English levels.
"Our goal is to come after the state," Dawson said. "We want to close that achievement gap for all of our student groups so that they can imagine whatever future they so desire and I'm fired up about it."
The district says it can boost these scores by supporting teachers and principals, while making sure families are in the driver's seat of their students' education.
"Bring our parents into the instruction and help them to know this is what your child needs, this is what it looks like, and this is how you help them at home," Dawson said.
Make class times longer
Dawson also told WJZ the district is reconsidering its master schedule to make class times longer for students. He also wants all students to be properly equipped for school with the best learning materials at their fingertips.
