Attendance is a component that public schools are judged by under NCLB. The schools seem to put so much emphasis on attendance that my kids don't want to miss school. Plus there's so much make-up work that even my 7 yr old had to do (probably as a disincentive to miss school). My DH doesn't understand the dread I have when he wants to take the kids out of school and I have to inform the school and hope they don't take it out on the kids.