Rio Rancho schools post 99.52% attendance on first Be Here day

Only 0.48% of Rio Rancho Public Schools students stayed home for Be Here New Mexico Day, leaving the district at 99.52% attendance and giving Sandoval County one of the strongest public snapshots yet of how hard schools are pushing families to show up.

RRPS had spent weeks building up to the April 8 event. In a March 20 post, the district, working with the New Mexico Public Education Department, urged every student to be present and said regular attendance is the foundation for student success and a critical part of positive student outcomes. That message was not just about a perfect headcount. It was about keeping children connected to learning, routines and the school community at a time when districts are watching every day on the calendar.

The statewide campaign came through NMPED’s Attendance for Success effort, which is meant to improve student attendance and engagement to boost academic achievement across New Mexico. The state also pointed families and schools to Be Here NM resources, including tools for schools and parents and 13 tips for families. Officials have framed the push as part of a broader effort that started with the Attendance for Success Act in 2019, which moved the state toward a more preventive, data-driven approach instead of simply punishing absences after they happen.

The numbers behind that effort are still sobering. Children’s Cabinet NM says 40.73% of New Mexico students were chronically absent in 2021-22, improving to 29.77% in 2023-24. A legislative policy brief put the 2023-24 rate at 32.8% and said 2021-22 had been the highest in the United States at the time. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days or classes for any reason after a student has been enrolled more than 10 days.

That is why RRPS’s near-perfect turnout matters beyond one bright day in Rio Rancho. Higher attendance means more time in class, more continuity in instruction and more chances for students to stay on track before the school year ends. It also shows the district’s message resonated with families at a moment when schools are trying to protect learning time and rebuild habits that were weakened across the state.

The statewide effort was not uniform. Bernalillo Public Schools did not participate because it was on spring break that week, a reminder that school calendars still shape how far a one-day campaign can reach. Even so, the turnout at RRPS suggested that a clear message, delivered early and tied to student success, can still move a district.