Perfect attendance pays off for students

Two years ago, Jim Parker attended his daughter’s fifth-grade graduation and came away with a heart full of pride and a desire to recognize elementary school graduates in a way that would make a difference in their lives.

“He said we should do something for kids who have perfect attendance,” said Camy Popiel, owner and senior account executive of Horace Mann Insurance in Coeur d’Alene.

Popiel has teamed up with Parker and his employees at Parker Toyota to support programs for kids in the community.

Parker suggested purchasing a bike for each grade school and awarding it to a member of the graduating class who had had perfect attendance.

A great idea, agreed Popiel, but at the time, she thought Parker was looking ahead to the following year. Instead, the next day, she found herself – with the help of Parker Toyota employees – purchasing and assembling 19 bikes, one for each grade school in the Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland school districts.

“We donated one bike for each grade school, and they held a drawing,” said Parker.

Parker and Popiel never anticipated the response they received.

“The reaction we got from the kids was amazing,” said Popiel, adding that for many of the kids, the free bike was their first bike.

“It made our hearts swell, so the next year, we decided that instead of giving one bike to each school, we would give a bike to each child (in the elementary school graduating classes) who had had perfect attendance,” said Popiel.

The program, called PASS, or Perfect Attendance Spells Success, has resulted in a significant increase in perfect attendance.

In 2005 in the three school districts combined, the children in the elementary school graduating classes who had perfect attendance numbered only 46. This year, Parker and Popiel anticipate giving bikes and helmets to 211 children.

Popiel said they let all students in the elementary school graduating classes know at the beginning of the year that if they have perfect attendance, they will be rewarded with a new bike and helmet at the end of the year.

“The nice thing is, it is good not only for the kids but for the schools, too,” said Popiel, pointing out that the districts receive more money from the state for each child who actually is in attendance on any given school day.

Popiel and Parker have contracted with Shull’s Bike Shop in Coeur d’Alene, which provides them with the unisex bikes and helmets.

“They give us a deal (on the bikes and helmets) and assemble them for us,” said Parker, adding that the assembly work is an immense help.

“The delivery of the bikes is an orchestration in itself,” said Popiel. She and employees of Parker Toyota attend end-of-the-year assemblies at all 19 elementary schools within a two-day period.

But seeing the difference the PASS program makes in the lives of children makes it all worthwhile and has motivated Parker and Popiel to team up with area schools on other projects.

Parker said that since Popiel makes it a point to be in the schools often, she knows about the needs of the children.

“She is great,” said Parker. “She is so enthusiastic.”

“We both have a big sense of giving back to the community,” said Popiel.

Parker said that probably half the children never have had their own brand-new bikes before. So, this program has given him a lot of satisfaction.

“It”s a pretty neat deal to be able to give them their first bike,” he said.