You may be surprised to learn that when our youngest students miss just two days of school per month for any reason — excused or unexcused — they can become third-graders who can’t make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn; sixth-graders who cannot keep up in core classes, and high school students who do not graduate.

Missing ten percent of school, which equates to about 18 days for the whole school year, is called “chronic absenteeism” and children living in poverty are more than twice as likely to be chronically absent. This is especially harmful in kindergarten through third grade when students are building fundamental language and math skills.

Even when students are absent because of something important like a medical appointment or family emergency, they still miss out on the teacher’s lesson and social time with their peers. Studies show it takes three days for students to catch up for every one day they miss.

Here’s why. When students miss a day of school, they not only miss that day’s lesson, they also struggle to keep up when they return to the classroom because lessons build on each other. If they missed yesterday, today’s lesson will be harder. They don’t like feeling behind, so they disengage. When school goes from being fun to confusing, from being easy to hard, many students stop trying.

The best thing parents can do is to get their children to school every single day. This means scheduling appointments after school when possible. It means planning family trips to coincide with school holidays. It means only keeping students home for illness when they have one of these three symptoms: a fever higher than 100 degrees; diarrhea or vomiting during the previous 24 hours; or eyes that look pink and/or crusty.

I understand the desire to keep kids home from school when they have the sniffles, to wrap them up in a cozy blanket and feed them chicken noodle soup. But allowing them to skip school just a couple of days a month can significantly affect their success at school.

When you get your child to school every day, it sends a message: that showing up every day is important. And these good habits can last a lifetime.

Some people think I am worried about attendance because of the drop in funding that occurs when students are absent. It’s true — I do care about funding, but only because of what funding allows us to do for our students. More funding means we can hire more teachers, which reduces class sizes. Smaller class sizes allow each child to receive more individual attention from their teacher.

Chronic absenteeism impacts more than academics. At school, students learn to navigate complex social interactions with peers, they develop respectful relationships with caring adults, and they explore extracurricular interests like athletics, art, and music. They also get a roof over their heads, a free meal, and a safe space to be themselves.

Unfortunately, students whose families are struggling financially are a lot more likely to be absent because of factors out of their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care.

If you are having trouble getting your child to school every day, talk to their teacher. We’ll do what we can to connect you with more resources — other families who could help out, district support, or assistance from community organizations.

Education is the path to success and having students in school every day is the path to a great education.

Dr. Nicki Thomas is superintendent for the Kelseyville Unified School District in Kelseyville, California.