More than half of the students at Witter Elementary were absent Friday. The elementary school had no bus service for its traditional students affecting how many attended.

Principal Anna Brown said 391 students out of 758 were absent.

“I really believe many students would be here if we had buses,” she said. “Many of our families don’t have other transportation options.”

Witter serves families in the University Area where many residents don’t have vehicles and rely on public transportation.

Brown and her staff were busy Friday confirming absences and verifying that each student had a way home and a place to go after school. Some of the local after school child care programs were closed for Good Friday.

Brown said her teachers used this opportunity to combine classes that only had a handful of students and offer academic activities between classes. For example, some classes held mock math competitions.

“This isn’t a play day or a free day,” she said. “It’s business as usual. Our students have come to learn and that’s what they are doing.”
Brown said she hopes the students return on Monday because that is the final day for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test makeup exams. If students miss taking the test, it can affect a school’s grade from the state.

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