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Attendance Drops In Medford Schools

Attendance in schools across the Medford School District dropped for the fourth consecutive day Friday. Some parents chose to keep children at home while some North Medford High School students joined the picket lines with their teachers on Thursday.

48 percent of the district's more than 12,000 students went to school Thursday, according to district reports.  That number fell to 44 percent on Friday.

Attendance at North Medford plummeted from 81 percent Tuesday to 30 percent Friday. Dozens of North students stood outside during what should have been their fourth and last period of classes on Thursday, saying they didn't see the point of attending school without their teachers.  Total attendance by Medford high school students fell to 29.5 percent on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Medford Mail Tribune reports that talks between the striking union and the district have broken down.  Both sides say they meet with a state mediator on Tuesday, but no details of that meeting have been arranged.

Superintendent Phil Long says they are working to find more substitute teachers and plan to keep the schools open throughout the strike.

Complete post-strike attendance statistics by school reported by the district are HERE.