But when fear and projects don't keep kids in class, schools have to dig deeper in their utility belts. High schools in Mesa use a computer system that tallies students' unexcused absences throughout the day and calls their parents at home in the evening. Schools in other districts use a similar system, but many of them have parent volunteers place the calls instead of a computerized voice. Even good kids will fib. There may be a lot of kids there, but it's nothing official.
Administrators can also use the graduation ceremony as a carrot.
Students in the Tempe Union High School District are not allowed to walk in the graduation ceremony unless they fulfill all their graduation requirements. We say no. Ben Abieta, a senior at Tempe High, learned this the hard way. He racked up too many absences in his government class and was dropped. Now he's facing four weeks of summer school to make up a full semester of the class.