Absenteeism

Before they fell victim to violence, students who were slain or shot had poor school attendance, according to data released Thursday by the Baltimore school system and health department. Between 2003 and 2007, 115 youths in Baltimore were killed and 405 were victims of nonfatal shootings, health department figures show. The school system was able to retrieve attendance data going back to 1999 for 391 of the 520 victims. The health department pooled the data from the two agencies.

Northwest Airlines Corp., the fifth-largest U.S. airline, completed 92% of its three-day weekend schedule because of pilot absenteeism and thunderstorm-caused delays in the Northeast corridor Sunday, spokesman Roman Blahoski said. As the airline headed into its busiest part of the week serving business commuters, Blahoski said he had no forecast for cancellations. "Currently we are talking to the union to find ways to improve the reliability of our operations," Blahoski said.

Mental disorders account for about a third of sick days, roughly equal to those caused by back and neck pain, according to the most comprehensive report yet on the effect of illness on disability. The survey tallied chronic conditions but not transient illnesses like the flu. Adult Americans with depression, anxiety or other psychological disorders annually miss 1.3 billion days of work, school or other daily activity, according to the report today in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Americ Azevedo taught an "Introduction to Computers" class at UC Berkeley last semester that featured some of the hottest options in educational technology. By visiting the course's websites, the 200 enrolled students could download audio recordings or watch digital videos of the lectures, as well as read the instructor's detailed lecture notes and participate in online discussions.

LAPD officers stood guard Tuesday near the front courtyard at Jefferson High School. Inside, administrators enforced their new policy banning heavy belt buckles and white T-shirts while students discussed ways of reducing violence during a "day of dialogue." But nearly two weeks after two racially charged brawls left several people injured, many students say they still don't feel safe. And some, like senior Shameka Bryant, have stayed away.

Tens of thousands of Los Angeles students stayed away from city schools Thursday amid rumors of impending gang violence. Principals and teachers at several Los Angeles Unified School District campuses let out a collective sigh of relief as the school day progressed without any major incidents. They cringed, however, at the increased number of absences that could cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost state funding.

Tens of thousands of students in the Los Angeles Unified School District returned to class Friday after rumors of impending gang violence tied to Cinco de Mayo proved unfounded. School officials said 29,200 middle and high school students were absent Friday, compared with 51,000 who stayed away from school Thursday, in part due to the fear of violence. Officials said Thursday's absences could cost the district nearly $600,000.

In the latest sign of escalating trouble in the effort to rebuild Iraq, thousands of Iraqi workers are refusing to show up for construction jobs due to spreading anti-Americanism and ongoing security problems, industry and occupation officials said Tuesday. At the same time, a growing number of American and foreign contractors working in Iraq have suspended their activities, relocating staff to more stable areas or in some cases pulling out of the country entirely.

About 7% of Los Angeles Unified School District employees are absent from work on any given day, a number that is much higher than national averages and is triggering concern about the $172 million spent last year to hire substitute teachers and other replacements, according to a report released Thursday. As a result, officials are calling for changes in the ways the district discourages -- or inadvertently encourages -- employee absenteeism.

Students absent from classes in the Los Alamitos Unified School District need an excuse from home. A $40 check for each missed day would be nice too, the district says. The request was contained in a letter to parents discussing the value, both academic and financial, of coming to school all day, every day. It noted that 80% of the district's revenue comes from state contributions based on daily student attendance -- about $40 per student per day.