D.C. is beginning a citywide ad campaign aimed at increasing school attendance.
The campaign's theme, "The More You Learn, the More You Earn," features posters of five D.C. students urging other teenagers to attend school.
"You know without education we can't be successful in life," said Cardozo High School senior Rebeca Lara, who wants to be a mechanical engineer. "And you know we all want money, so come to school."
Deputy Mayor for Education De'Shawn Wright said the ad campaign is part of a larger effort that includes working individually with students who have racked up the most absences and partnering with the courts. He says his office is also making sure areas around Metro stations are well lit and have a police presence so students feel safe going to school.
Citywide 40 percent of the city's ninth graders have more than two weeks of unexcused absences, Wright said. Freshman year is also when most students in the District drop out. Research shows students who miss school are more likely to drop out.
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