Schools are still bothered about attendance because that's what all the laws require. They get funding each year based on the number of kids who showed up almos

Schools are still bothered about attendance because that's what all the laws require. They get funding each year based on the number of kids who showed up almost every day the year before. State laws define the number of days and hours each year that schools must be instructing students. Here's the definition for WA: ""Instructional hours" means those hours students are provided the opportunity to engage in educational activity planned by and under the direction of school district staff," https://www.sbe.wa.gov/faqs/instructional_hours https://www.sbe.wa.gov/faqs/instructional_hours And here are the required numbers in other states https://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/tab1_1-2020.asp https://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/tab1_1-2020.asp So yes, the way they are running is stupid. But you have to convince a lot of people before they can run it differently, and none of them are down near the level of school districts.