Like a last minute call from the governor sparing the life of the fella strapped to the gurney inches away from lethal injection, schools around the country call in a reprieve with spring break. The stretch of time between gloomy January and melting March becomes too much for teachers, parents and certainly the students. Glorious spring break is just what we need to round third and head for home. We need to make it to the promised land of summer vacation — which, after just a week in, we’ll wish for the sweet reprieve of Back-to-School night.

Spring break was a double-edged sword growing up with a teacher. Being at home with her four kids, surrounded by the buildup of mess us kids stuffed into closets, under beds and in the laundry room, Mom finally had time to apron up and channel a demonic Mary Poppins. Instead of “In every job that must be done, there’s an element of fun” we got “Clean your room or you will die.” It wasn’t the jolly tunes that got us working; it was the beep of microwave buttons as she set a timer — 30 minutes to get our rooms clean. You could hear it click down, whether it was in our heads or actually happening, I never tested what happened when time ran out.

Eventually, tasks gave way to a road trip down south to St. George, “Paradise Lost” for the kids who behaved the other 360 days a year. Every year, the main drag of the city was brimmed with teens looking for warm temps, a taste of freedom and new faces, much like the 70-something snowbirds who migrate down there each December. To this day, nostalgia triggers when I hit St. George Boulevard, with memories of family, particularly my grandparents who lived down there during those cold months. Late at night, (maybe 10) after she’d gone to sleep, us cruisers would let loose and pop the tops of her Diet Coke, reliving our “vard” experiences. Real rebels.

Spring break was the time families took vacations. Now in the post-COVID world, families take vacations whenever they want. There doesn’t seem to be concern about missing class, falling behind or waiting until those allotted times set by the district. With my family heading to Disneyland during peak time, fully expecting to wither away in line, I understand the appeal of taking trips while the rest of the student body is in school. From my life experience, there is nothing better than walking right onto a ride.

Chronic absenteeism is a problem across the country, particularly now with classes being accessible on virtual platforms like Canvas and Power School. Last year, 50% of Utah students were on track for chronic absenteeism. Some may blame a lack of child care options or bad habits; I blame the end of “One Free Meal at JB’s Family Restaurant” attendance certificates handed out at schools. I know that’s what kept me coming back day after day. Never underestimate the power of a free meal, especially for teenagers.

Passed in 2023, but amended during this year’s session, the Legislature took on chronic absenteeism trying to stem the habit. Chromic absence is when a student misses more than 10% of enrolled days, with those absences being excused by guardians. In Utah, that’s missing at least 17 days of school. Trust me, I Googled “What is 10 percent of 170.” Missing this much school is indeed a habit. Parents are now more than ever overworked trying to balance the basic needs of life, with so many sticks in the fire, it’s hard to track which ones are still sitting by the side. Schools are doing their part in this village. When my kid is missing, I inevitably get a call from the attendance office to check to see if this was expected and excused. Not only that, I get a notification on my phone for each class my teen misses.

Missing school is a big deal. Not only does this set a precedent of acceptance, the kid also falls behind, gets stressed, eventually affecting multiple facets of a holistic life. Missing schools puts students on track to not graduate. To compete today, kids need a high school degree at the very least. Not getting your kid to school, whether it be online or in-person, is neglect.

Last month, the Standard-Examiner published a column by Jon England wherein he states, “Schools need to stop blaming parents and students for chronic absenteeism. Utah shouldn’t be in the practice of bringing criminal charges against students and families when they obviously aren’t happy at school. Schools need to take a deep look at their practices. There is something keeping students from attending school, and it isn’t a lack of punishment.” Parents should have their feet held to the fire; they are responsible for getting their kid to school. Moreso, I don’t blame schools. Instead, I look to the Legislature that controls curriculum, policy, inclusion, funding, even the school board (Nataline Cline still has a spot). What message does it send to students that because they don’t like school, they don’t need to go attend? There’s no reason to miss over two weeks of school.

Now more than ever, education options are abundant. We have schools like Weber Innovation setting a new standard for kids looking for a nontraditional way to learn, NUAMES offers a different environment for high school students, and Weber Online is an option. There are too many choices to not be in school.

Spring break is always crowded, no matter where we head, because it’s the appropriate time for kids to miss class, for families to vacation. There’s no stress of falling behind only to stress more to catch back up. It’s a student’s reprieve from winter, books, those teachers’ dirty looks. As you pack up the car, wait in line to gas up and feel the urge to extend the middle finger to a fellow spring breaker, remember — we are all just looking to get to the promised land.

Meg Sanders worked in broadcast journalism for over a decade but has since turned her life around to stay closer to home in Ogden. Her three children keep her indentured as a taxi driver, stylist and sanitation worker. In her free time, she likes to read, write, lift weights and go to concerts with her husband of 18 years.

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