80% of success...

An informative conversation with my AP during the second week of school went something like this:

AP: Mr. F, how has attendance been in your classes?

Mr. F: Well, first period has been a little rough. Out of 15 students, I've had 5 show up. 4. Really more like 4.

AP: Oh. Well, you should probably try calling homes. Actually, just give me the names of the students who are absent. No, on second thought, just wait on it. We are still figuring things out in the office. Some of those students probably don't even go here anymore, or they transferred, or they dropped out. We just don't know. We'll have it sorted out by the third or fourth week of school.

Mr. F: So what happens next?

AP: Well, sometime soon, hopefully schoolwide attendance will get above 80%, and then we can get things moving.

Mr. F: Right.