Every day counts! During Attendance Awareness Month, the MCPSS Attendance Department and #TeamMCPSS want to thank our parents and guardians for their efforts to make sure that their students arrive on time each day. According to research from Attendanceworks.org, poor attendance can influence whether children are able to read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back; by sixth grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school. Research shows that missing an average of just two days a month, about 10 percent of an academic year, can negatively affects a student’s academic performance. In addition, research indicates that students who are chronically absent in any year between eighth and 12th grades are more than seven times more likely to drop out. The good news: MCPSS recorded a dramatic decrease in truancy and chronic absenteeism rates during the past school year, and the state of Alabama has one of the lowest rates of absenteeism in the nation. Let's keep that momentum going!
Attendance Awareness Month
Top scholars
MCPSS is proud to announce that five MCPSS students have been named semifinalists for 2026 National Merit Scholarships. They are Kennedy Lee and Lahleen Masterson of Baker High, Owen Farmer and Sariah Hossain of Davidson High, and Collin Bendolph of Murphy High. These scholars are among just over 16,000 semifinalists nationwide, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. They earned this distinction by being among the highest-scoring students in Alabama on the Pre-SAT. The National Merit Scholarships will be awarded in the spring of 2026.
New issue of Learning Leading magazine
The August issue of Learning Leading magazine has been distributed throughout the district. Features include the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly renovated LeFlore Magnet High School; an in-depth look at the numerous community and industry partners who help us provide a well-rounded educational experience for our students; information about the new Rooms app; honors and awards throughout the district; and much, much more! Pick up a copy at your child's school, or click here to read it on the mcpss.com website.
No. 1 fundraising school district for American Heart Association
Mobile County Public Schools has continued its streak of being the top fundraising school district in Alabama for the American Heart Association. Meghan Robinson of the AHA gave an awards presentation during the September Principals Meeting, accompanied by Maggie, a second-grader at Hutchens Elementary who was born with a transposition of the great vessels in her heart and underwent open-heart surgery five days after her birth. Maggie and her classmates at Hutchens raised the most money of any MCPSS school with a grand total of $22,263. Two dozen schools raised more than $161,000. Click here to read more.
Extra Yard for Teachers events: Ticket discounts, tailgate party
As part of Extra Yard for Teachers Week, the University of South Alabama is offering discounted tickets for teachers to the USA-Coastal Carolina game on September 20 at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Teachers are also invited to a free tailgate party before the game, along with opportunities to register for prizes and Amazon wish list fulfillment opportunities. Click here to purchase tickets and to learn more about the Extra Yard for Teachers promotions.
National Arts in Education Week
This is National Arts in Education Week, a time to celebrate creativity in the classroom. MCPSS students have numerous opportunities for arts enrichment at all grade levels. The school system's fine arts curriculum includes visual and performing arts with experienced instructors in band, chorus, dance, theater and visual arts, and the district holds honors programs and visual art exhibits throughout the year to showcase the talents of fine and performing arts students. Thank you to our arts, dance, drama, and music teachers!
Apply to Learning Leading University
Mobile County Public Schools is seeking applicants for its community outreach initiative, Learning Leading University, a program designed to engage members of our community who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of issues facing our schools and want to become informed advocates for education and students.
Applications are being accepted for this program through Monday, September 15, 2025, at 4 p.m. To apply, click here.
Board meetings
The Mobile County Board of School Commissioners will hold a work session on September 17 at noon and its regular board meeting on September 22 at 10 a.m. The work sessions are recorded and uploaded to the mcpssTV YouTube channel. The board meeting will be live-streamed on mcpssTV.
All meetings will be held in the Board Room at MCPSS Central Office, located at 1 Magnum Pass in west Mobile.
Reminder: Monday, September 22, is a Virtual Learning Day and there will be no school for students. Teachers will make assignments for students to complete at home.
Football season: Watch live
Watch the MCPSS Games of the Week on the mcpssTV broadcast. The broadcasts are available via Facebook Live, Comcast (channel 15), Mediacom (channel 81), AT&T U-verse (On Demand channel 99), and Roku (Mobile County Public Schools App). Click here for the YouTube link.
Mobile County Public Schools
Email: communications@mcpss.com
Website: mcpss.com
Location: 1 Magnum Pass, Mobile, AL 36618
Phone: 251-221-4000
Facebook: facebook.com/MobileCountyPublicSchools
Instagram: instagram.com/mobilecountypublicschools
Community events
Did you know that you can earn vouchers for our Social Services Department when you donate to a Goodwill Retail Store? Find out details in Community News! The Family Resources page on the MCPSS website now has a Community News and Events page. Click here to read about initiatives with our community partners to help our students and families.
Nominate teachers and students: The new school year is a great time to recognize your favorite teachers and scholar athletes! WKRG News 5 is seeking nominations for the Golden Apple Award and for the Student Athlete of the Week. For additional information, visit the WKRG website.