STUART — This month, while other students were fighting off “senioritis,” Russell Schoemer had no trouble showing up.

After all, he’d had been doing it without fail for 13 years.

Schoemer, 18, graduated from South Fork High School Wednesday with a perfect attendance from kindergarten to senior year, or more than 2,000 days. Martin County students get out of school for summer Friday.

Schoemer, an A and B student, didn’t start school with the idea of earning perfect attendance. It just sort of happened.

As a student at SeaWind Elementary, Schoemer was honored for perfect attendance. With the recognition came a challenge from the principal not to miss a day for the rest of his academic career.

“I took the challenge,” he said simply.

Perfect attendance, though, is not so simple. School often takes a back seat to family vacations and religious holidays. Illness and injury can interfere. For a high school student, particularly one nearing graduation, school can seem less important.

Schoemer, who also attended Murray Middle School, got sick only in the summer months. He came close to missing school just once when he broke his foot. But the injury happened on a Saturday, he was out of the hospital by Sunday and back in school Monday.

His mother asked if he wanted to stay home and rest.

“I said, ‘No, I gotta keep going to school,’” he said.
Schoemer plans to attend Indian River State College before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast University, where he hopes to study marine or environmental science.

As to whether his streak will survive the late nights and temptations of college life, Schoemer isn’t sure.

“I’ll try to, but I’m not promising anything,” he said with a laugh.

Tags: Martin County, Schools

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