By Jennifer Mrozowski
Enquirer staff writer

Cincinnati Public Schools is taking its back-to-school campaign to festivals, barbershops, hair salons, churches and TV in an unprecedented effort to make sure kids show up on the first day of school.

The district wants every kid to know "It's cool 2 B in school," as the posters say.

"We really wanted it to resonate with students," district spokeswoman Janet Walsh said, referring to the abbreviated phrasing common to almost any kid who passes notes or uses computerized instant messaging.

The campaign attempts to combat the dismal attendance that plagued last year's first day of school, when an estimated one-fourth of the district's 39,784 kids were considered no-shows. Because some schools don't require all students to show up the same day, the district did not establish the actual absentee rate.

The first day for most Cincinnati Public Schools is Aug. 25. Walnut Hills High School starts Aug. 17.

Some strategies this year include:

• Two thousand posters in barbershops, libraries and recreation centers by volunteers from community groups such as the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati and the Amos Project.

• Thirty-second commercials to be broadcast on 42 television channels, as well as targeted showings on stations children watch, such as BET, MTV and Nickelodeon.

The commercials feature Cincinnati school students, including the Taft Information Technology High School's championship varsity basketball players and a student from the School for Creative and Performing Arts. The school district got much of the air time for free.

• Cincinnati Public Schools information booths at community festivals and the Black Family Reunion.

• The sixth annual Back to School/Ready to Learn event Aug. 14 at district headquarters. The event includes entertainment, refreshments and free school supplies.

The back-to-school campaign is estimated to cost the district $7,600; school officials are looking for sponsors to underwrite some of the costs.

Some parents think that the Aug. 25 start date is too early and could still cause students to miss the first day.

"I just think they are taking too much time out of family time," said Jennifer Raabe, a Kilgour Elementary School parent whose son missed the first few days of school last year.

The family had reserved a vacation spot last summer based on a district calendar showing a later start date, Raabe said. The start date was changed after the family made its vacation plans, she said.

Vacation aside, the biggest challenge will be getting kids to go back in the midst of the summer heat, Raabe said.

"It's very hot," she said. "Kids can't learn. To send kids in the dog days of August in a non-air-conditioned school, what is that going to accomplish?"

The district has started school before Labor Day for almost a decade, Walsh said. A calendar committee that includes parents chose the date after considering testing dates and vacation periods, she said.

Back to School celebration Aug. 14

Cincinnati Public Schools' first day is Wednesday, Aug. 25, for most schools. The district's Back to School/Ready to Learn celebration will be 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 14 at the district's headquarters, 2651 Burnet Ave. in Corryville. The event includes free school supplies, registration information, health and immunization information, entertainment and refreshments.

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E-mail jmrozowski@enquirer.com