Sacramento-area school's bike program has strengthened attendance
RANCHO CORDOVA — A Sacramento-area middle school is scoring high in attendance thanks to an initiative to get students bikes.
Jason Edelman was tardy 100 times at Mills Middle School in Rancho Cordova last year. His family was thankful for the recent gift of a bike, part of a new program that aims to help get kids to school on time every day.
"Attendance is everything," said Michael Rosales, an attendance technician at Mills Middle School. "The child cannot learn if they aren't here. The child can't be social if they aren't here."
Rosales is part of a team that conducts home visits when a student is frequently tardy or absent. Having raised six kids of his own, he connects with families trying to manage it all.
"Traffic is horrible around here, and sometimes, if we can alleviate that where the child can ride to school, it helps the parents get the other students to their schools on time," he said.
Veronica Lee goes along with Rosales during those home visits. She said the parents are so grateful.
"Just seeing the smile on their faces," she said, and later added, "it's so exciting that we are seeing how this is working."
Attendance went from 91% to 95%, which meant the school met its goal. It's not only better for students but also eases the burden on parents.
"Some of these families we've found, their means of transportation don't exist," Rosales said. "So this bike the parents can use to go get groceries, do laundry, so it helps the entire family unit."
They have given out close to a dozen bikes, along with locks, and now, thanks to the Police Athletic League of Rancho Cordova, they are giving out helmets, too.
"The morale is outstanding," Rosales said. "Kids come here and they are happy to be here. Kids want to be here."
Edelman is a shining example. He has only been late a handful of times so far this year.
"Because I was able to wake up earlier, not waiting for family to get dressed," he said.
The school is looking for bikes, even if they need a little work. A teacher is donating his time to make repairs so they can be used for the program.
School officials say it is not just helping with attendance but also admission. The school is up 70 students from this time last year.