Convenience Big Store: How Stockton school officials are working to resolve chronic absenteeism

Stockton school district made 700 visits to homes in September due to chronic absenteeism – For students, simply going to school can be difficult enough, but the COVID-19 pandemic is causing many students to simply not attend school at all. In the Stockton Unified School District, chronic absenteeism has been an ongoing problem the district is trying to address. However, the pandemic has made it much worse. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school days in a school year. In school districts around California, the pandemic is causing a surge in chronic absenteeism. Pre-pandemic in the 2018-2019 school year, chronic absenteeism stood at 19.7%. As of today, the rate is now at 35.7%, according to the district, which has an enrollment of 36,557 students. "Specialists have said that COVID has not helped with chronic absenteeism because some students are learning at home and may not be logging on or may not having the resources they need,” said Melinda Meza, spokesperson for the Stockton Unified School District. (Kurt Rivera, ABC10)

California's rainy season is changing. Here's why that's important – October marks the beginning of California's new water year, which will run through Sept. 30 the following year. This also signals the transition from the long, dry summer months to the wetter time of year. But new research is showing a delay to California’s rainy season. Research shows the onset of the rainy season has been progressively delayed since the 1960s. Specifically, 27 days later than six decades ago. This pushes the start of the state's annual rainy season from November to December. (Monica Woods, ABC10)

COVID-19 extended sick leave set to expire on Sept. 30 – California's COVID-19 extended sick leave program is set to expire tomorrow. Previously, the state required employers to pay for three full days of sick leave, but that was not enough for the required quarantine period. A spokesperson for Gov. Newsom's office said there was no update on whether the governor has any plans to extend the program. "California has been working proactively to prepare for the end of federal benefits this month by connecting Californians with other public benefits that have been expanded by the American Rescue Plan and California Comeback Plan." (Morgan Rynor, ABC10)

TIP OF THE DAY

USPS delivery delays take effect Oct. 1... If you've been frustrated with the post office, you probably won't be thrilled to hear this. Service is going to get slower. The U.S. Postal Service is finalizing plans to slow down some first-class mail deliveries to reduce shipping costs. (Tegna)

SMILE

Diverse group of winemakers making their mark in the Central Valley... The stories of Hispanic winemakers are as diverse as the backgrounds from which they come. It's a sentiment that rings true for Lodi's Joseph Smith, a winemaker with Klinker Brick. “I think I carry my heritage on my sleeve. I love talking about my country,” Smith said. (Mike Duffy, ABC10)

ROB CARLMARK'S WEATHER FORECAST

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