WHEREAS, chronic student absenteeism – defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days for any reason, whether excused, unexcused, or disciplinary – is a growing concern in Maine and across the nation; and

WHEREAS, the State of Maine is committed to providing the best learning opportunities for all students so that they may achieve a pathway to success in school and in life; and

WHEREAS, schools and communities in Maine are making significant progress in helping every student thrive – reducing the number of chronically absent students by 23 percent since 2022 – and demonstrating a collective commitment to increasing attendance, reducing dropout rates, and improving academic performance; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, the Maine Department of Education developed the Maine Engagement and Attendance Center (MEAC) to address chronic absenteeism, providing tools and resources for students, families, educators, administrators, and community partners; and

WHEREAS, through this comprehensive approach, the state commits to reducing chronic absenteeism in Maine and improving student success;

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Janet Mills, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby proclaim September 2025 as

School Attendance Awareness Month

in Maine, and I urge our state's schools, families, and communities to commit to addressing chronic absenteeism.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this twenty eighth day of August Two Thousand Twenty-Five