What's It Like Being a High School Attendance Clerk?

I'm curious about what a high school attendance clerk does every day. Does anyone have insights into the roles and responsibilities or what skills I might need if I want to pursue this job in the future?

As someone familiar with the role of a high school attendance clerk, I can tell you they play a critical part in running a school smoothly. On a broad level, the responsibilities include managing and recording student attendance, communicating with parents or guardians about unexcused absences, and maintaining accurate attendance records in line with school policies and legal requirements.

A typical day might involve checking in late arrivals, recording excuses, calling parents to validate unexplained absences, and distributing tardy passes. Interacting with students who are frequently absent or tardy and providing data for administration or counselors involved with attendance intervention may also be part of the job.

Now, as for the skills you'd need, being organized and having an eye for detail is essential since you will be dealing with a lot of data and paperwork. Excellent communication skills are needed as you'll be interacting with teachers, students, and parents on a daily basis. Understanding school policies and any related legal requirements for attendance is also important.

Familiarity with common office software like Microsoft Office can also be beneficial. Plus, if you have experience with school-specific software like PowerSchool, Infinite Campus or Skyward, that would definitely be a plus.

It's a role that can be challenging at times (like many jobs in a school setting), but for the right person, it can be rewarding especially if you enjoy helping students succeed and keeping operations running smoothly.