It looks like the massive back-to-school campaign announced last month was successful, and that's a big win for Mayor Rahm Emanuel's choice to lead the Chicago Public Schools, Jean-Claude Brizard.
CPS officials announced Wednesday -- the second day of classes at Track R schools -- that 94.7 percent of students attended classes on the first day. That's up 92.9 percent from 2010 and the highest attendance figure in four years.
"This year, we took an unprecedented approach to build awareness among families and students all over the city about the importance of being in school on the first day, which is critical to student success in the classroom as it sets the tone for the school year and helps build good attendance habits,” Brizard said in a written statement announcing the figures.
"All of our partners really stepped up this year and I’m very grateful for all they did to help us boost these numbers to have a successful first day," he said.
Track E schools, which began Aug. 8, also saw an increase in first day attendance, to 88.1 percent from 86.8 percent in 2010, the district said.
