About a year ago, the absenteeism rate was around 40 percent.

This year they've gotten that down to around 30 percent.  

Bend LaPine Schools has high absentee rates for parents taking thier kids out for vacations.

LaPine High School Assistant Principal Anne Marie Lessard says that's not the driving reason down there.

"I think south county is different.  We have a higher poverty level down here.  In my experience, in the last two years, what we're running into is transportation issues when kids miss the bus and the distance from school, they can't walk to school.  Transportation and medical needs and being sick quite a bit."

Lessard says they have care teams  working with individual students to help meet their needs to keep them in school.