As we close the books on 2025-2026, Cicero District 99 celebrates something extraordinary.

Nearly 300 students showed up to school EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

That means 176 school days. 176 mornings. 176 decisions to show up. ZERO absences.

Read that again. While grades, trophies, and test scores matter... this achievement tells a deeper story.

Because attendance is about more than being present. It's about commitment. It's about resilience. It's about responsibility. It's about learning one of life's greatest lessons at an early age:

The people who keep showing up are the people who change their future.

Think about this... If a student misses just 2 days a month, by the end of the school year they've missed nearly an entire month of learning.

One day may not seem like much. But over time, missed days become missed lessons... missed opportunities... missed confidence... and sometimes, missed dreams.

That's why this year,  District 99 had one clear message: 9 days or less is the key to success.

And these students didn't just hear the message... THEY LIVED IT. Through cold mornings. Through exhaustion. Through alarm clocks they didn't want to answer. Through every challenge life threw their way...

They showed up.

And behind every student who achieved perfect attendance is a family that sacrificed, encouraged, supported, and pushed them forward every single day. Parents. Guardians. Grandparents. Teachers. Staff. Bus drivers. Everyone played a role in this success story. This is what community looks like.

In a world where consistency is rare, these students proved something powerful: Greatness is not built in one moment. It is built daily. One class. One lesson. One morning. One decision at a time.

Cicero District 99 is incredibly proud of these students because perfect attendance isn't luck. It's discipline. It's heart. It's perseverance. And nearly 300 students showed our entire community exactly what excellence looks like.

Attendance Matters in Cicero District 99. Every Day Counts. And this year... these students made every single one count! 👏👏👏