Oakland student awarded $5,000 for attendance in push to combat chronic absenteeism

Every school day begins the same way: a teacher calling attendance and asking a simple question — Who's here?

In the Oakland Unified School District, too many students have been missing from roll call. While attendance numbers have improved since the pandemic, chronic absenteeism remains a challenge, particularly among Black students.

But at McClymonds High School this week, one Oakland senior was celebrated for always showing up.

When Hannah Jenkins heard her name called during a school assembly, it came with a surprise: a $5,000 check for nearly perfect attendance.

"I was a little bit shocked," Jenkins said. "I thought somebody else was going to win."

The recognition comes as Oakland Unified continues working to reduce chronic absenteeism, which peaked at nearly 53% during the pandemic, according to Dr. Cheryl Ingram with the Silicon Valley Equity in Education Institute, which aggregates school data. Districtwide, chronic absenteeism has since improved to 29%, but Black students continue to be disproportionately affected, despite shifting demographics.

"We've seen reports of the Black population leaving Oakland," Ingram said.

Research from the institute found Black students accounted for more than 41% of chronic absenteeism in the 2024-2025 school year. According to the district, however, that number dropped by 4.7% this school year.

Ingram still feels there is room for concern, and said she believes it's in some ways a reflection of the economy and poverty in particular.

"They can't afford, like, the basic needs that they have to have in order to go to school," said Ingram.

Meanwhile, against that backdrop, Hannah's consistency stood out.

"She won $5,000!" one school official announced during the surprise presentation, as classmates cheered.

Jenkins said her motivation to show up every day came from her family.

"I was just coming to school because that's how my mom and grandparents raised me, to go to school even when you don't feel like it," Hannah said.

The award was funded by Oakland Natives Give Back, a nonprofit founded by Dr. Nyeisha DeWitt, who says her own educational journey inspired her mission.

"This has been my life's mission," DeWitt said.

DeWitt dropped out of Oakland Tech in the 10th grade and says she experienced firsthand the consequences of missing school.

"If you don't show up, it's harder to have post-secondary success," she said. Asked if she experienced that personally, DeWitt replied: "Yeah."

Despite setbacks, DeWitt earned two master's degrees and a doctorate. Now, she hopes programs like this encourage students to stay engaged.

"All you got to do is show up," she said. "That's, like, literally half the battle."

District leaders say they are also working to improve attendance by strengthening relationships with families and addressing barriers that keep students out of school.

"A broken-down car can hinder you from showing up to a place that might be farther away," said Dwayne Bartholomew, who oversees attendance for the district. He said OUSD's goal is to, "build a bridge with families, communicate with them, and know what's going on."

Jenkins now plans to invest her prize money toward college — and hopes classmates follow her example.

"Continue coming to school guys," she said, addressing a crowd of her peers. "Even when you don't feel like it."