[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6278335,"mediaKeyId","2641420-62b500ddf340cbf994f3ec3aa0f8f5b0","parentId",2641420,"title","Alachua County schools report steady attendance, rising elementary discipline; district rolls out K‑12 LIFT and data‑dialogues","audioSeconds",3175,"startMs",203000,"endMs",3378000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641420-62b500ddf340cbf994f3ec3aa0f8f5b0&start=203&end=3378","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641420-62b500ddf340cbf994f3ec3aa0f8f5b0/thumbnail_203000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6278335/Alachua/School-Districts/Florida/Alachua-County-schools-report-steady-attendance-rising-elementary-discipline-district-rolls-out-K12-LIFT-and-datadialogues","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278335-55de6395370ad2469caec2a88a899070/orig.mp4?Expires=1776850602&Signature=X3j6jaVUUB70Y0xe2eM2cwKI0kRKgFMXSrpvtkFAqfi-IRvfyGdx3vGnJ0H1m3Ei7cPwN~Q9a~b-kOQu-4aAxiHXkInigYRTxHV0uTcFOVMvbwSX4MwG~~ZRWsT6i-VkY9gkvlyDblusgBJzgJn4WXCZ4Y0UbBUGs7MOJdDuRgAdZG8tajHEULJFcJ7YczG-L-T3tZVmIDZ3MO8KuRF2ar9Gh3ay0lKC-KySNZS7ydU18MsDdIujB23WiX0~300Wvy2Hl6SbQtdmzYh17Xft9rP0IJWUmt8P~LVH8csh9~4sKaad09afSx0UjbEg9Od5EUpH1z9OSfio21-qeQXY1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alachua County Public Schools, FL","date","2025-03-14T18:20:29Z","article","Mister Shalnut, the district data presenter, told the School Board of Alachua County at a March 14 workshop that the district’s month‑by‑month average attendance this year is “almost identical” to last year through February, but that chronic absenteeism has increased in every grade band.

Shalnut said the district is now presenting attendance as excused and unexcused absences together for transparency and identified three schools currently in state school improvement status — Alachua, Irby and Rawlings — and five “fragile” schools that recently exited state SI status: Shell, Idyllwild, Lake Forest, Terwilliger and Metcalf. He also told the board that “board policy 5,200 deals with excused absences” and explained parents may submit up to six notes per semester for excused absences.

Why it matters: Board members pressed staff for the next step beyond reporting. Several trustees said they want clearer evidence of what the district is doing differently to reduce chronic absence and to make sure limited resources (family liaisons, social workers, deans) are aligned across sites.

Key findings presented
- Monthly average attendance (districtwide) through February is similar to 2023–24, Shalnut said; the single July data point reflects the district’s year‑round school schedule.
- Districtwide chronic absenteeism has risen: board members cited year‑over‑year increases (elementary +21.1%, middle +36.6%, high +49% in the discussion). Shalnut and Dr. Patton said the district is prioritizing chronically absent students for targeted follow‑up.
- School‑level patterns vary; some schools show strong month‑to‑month attendance declines around December and holiday periods.

Behavior and discipline
The presentation showed a pronounced increase in recorded discipline referrals and out‑of‑school suspension (OSS) days at the elementary level. Shalnut reported that 86% of students had no discipline offenses this year and that 92% had zero or one offense, but other charts showed spikes at specific schools and grade levels. Shalnut said classroom disruption and “unsafe acts” were among the most common offenses across elementary and middle schools.

Dr. Edwards, who leads behavior work, told the board the district believes part of the increase reflects more consistent referral reporting at elementary schools and more intensive review of records. She said the district has changed how referrals are coded and is holding calibration meetings so schools apply the code of conduct consistently. Edwards also described revised expectations and training for deans so they act as instructional and behavior coaches rather than only writing referrals.

K‑12 LIFT and data dialogues
Shalnut and Superintendent Patton described the rollout of K‑12 LIFT analytics together with structured “data‑dialogue” protocols for principals. Shalnut called K‑12 LIFT “an amazing tool” that converts scale scores to percentiles so teachers and parents can interpret performance and growth more easily. Patton said the aim is to “line up how we use our data” so assessment drives instruction and principals and district staff have the same focus.

District actions tied to the process include:
- Principals and leadership participated in multi‑day trainings and then held focused, grade‑level data dialogues in each school to identify the grade or subject that presents the greatest concern and to agree next steps.
- The district has asked principals to target interventions for students who are not on pace (growth indicator 1) or not growing quickly enough (growth indicator 2).
- Shalnut noted a recent correction in the K‑12 LIFT feed that under‑counted some advanced fifth‑grade math students; the vendor updated the data that morning.

Board and public reaction
Board members welcomed the new visualizations but repeatedly asked for clearer “what‑we‑are‑doing‑differently” answers: how the family‑liaison and social‑work functions are being coordinated, how deans will be used, and how professional development will be targeted to classroom management and student engagement. Trustee Surdon said, “So tell me … what are we doing different?” Trustee Vu pressed for proportionate charts (percent of enrollment) rather than raw counts when comparing schools. Trustee McNeely asked that at least one future data‑dialogue session be recorded or made available to the board because principals’ presentations were “so good.”

Public speakers including former district staff and community organizations highlighted both appreciation for the increased transparency and concern about violence toward staff and the rising referral numbers. Taylor Gilfillan, a former district employee and DAC co‑chair, urged broader access to K‑12 LIFT data and a one‑page public takeaways report. Crystal Tesman of ACA noted that referrals do not equal disciplinary consequences and urged supports for employees who face violence in schools.

Ending
District staff said they will refine future reports to show proportional measures (percent of enrollment), provide more detail about how family liaisons and truancy officers are documenting interventions, and supply lists of specific “what we are doing differently” actions from principals’ data dialogues. Trustees asked for follow‑up detail on chronic absenteeism interventions and for school‑by‑school breakdowns of OSS days and repeat referrals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Workshop 3-14-25","oneSentenceSummary","Mister Shalnut told the School Board on March 14 that districtwide monthly attendance through February closely matches last year but chronic absenteeism has risen; elementary discipline referrals and out‑of‑school suspension days have increased and the district is using K‑12 LIFT plus structured data dialogues to target interventions.","taxTitle","Alachua, School Districts, Florida","taxId",14348,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278330,"Budget workshop: declining enrollment and FES expansion cut state funding; district freezes hiring and will present recovery plan April 1",761,9974000,10735000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641420-62b500ddf340cbf994f3ec3aa0f8f5b0&start=9974&end=10735","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641420-62b500ddf340cbf994f3ec3aa0f8f5b0/thumbnail_9974000.jpg","/articles/6278330/Alachua/School-Districts/Florida/Budget-workshop-declining-enrollment-and-FES-expansion-cut-state-funding-district-freezes-hiring-and-will-present-recovery-plan-April-1","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278330-15ce6b28b235350440fda649486bf54b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776850602&Signature=VMd8kMJpme62bPt9ks9dFKQeEQ~PsiYii3z-5ZuD7VGGgW~HjY41l-dEUXU7qjihOYMCpMv~6NvJN9uj1WwJiNDWYUFJTHkdqpVfkG8yAgy~zV4WIy6oc4qiWu~fhX4LKDVN5FLUwKL1BXy4bx-REzIlgQdQcKqt8LOo6cXYyU8JEKkH~X4zckdpumeBj767xxRAdyxV9rODspeMxE4wL8a5SoT2ZdluyJcomnxIx9bvir9ptiOTwOKD8ic7Siin9dlelU5jsvVcdCTbhekwQ3d3dh7d-Jei6bP9faSTJr6ecXi9xWrFeBGkfQwBg3yPtEyaUZPQPoyJnOF9KeqfSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Budget director Mister Remchuck presented the district’s initial 2024–25 budget status at the March 14 School Board workshop, telling trustees that the March (third) FEFP calculation reduced the district’s revenue by about $6,558,539 relative to the prior estimate and that the district’s budgeted expenditures now exceed estimated revenues by roughly $33,200,000.

Why it matters: The district’s unassigned fund balance is projected to fall below the board’s 5% policy threshold; state rules require a financial recovery plan if that level is breached. Administrators said they will present a recovery plan at the April 1 board meeting.

What the presentation said
- Required Local Effort (RLE): Remchuck reviewed a long‑term decline in the state’s RLE rate and said the district has seen reduced local funding support; the presentation cites roughly a 42% decrease in the RLE rate over recent years and an estimate that if the RLE had been maintained at prior levels the district would have received an additional roughly $205.7 million over the past decade.
- Third Calc impact: The district recorded a $6,558,539 reduction in FEFP revenue in the third calc due mainly to lower traditional (brick‑and‑mortar) FTE and higher counts in Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) and charters. For 2025–26 the district’s submission projects an additional roughly $8 million revenue loss; Remchuck said the two‑year cumulative impact is about $15 million.
- Fund balance trajectory: staff reported the district began the fiscal year with an 11.55% fund balance ratio (driven by prior‑year encumbrances and categoricals), with a September budget amendment showing 7.26% and a January 31 figure at 6.47%; the March projection (after Calc 3) is 4.41% and does not include transfers that might be used to cover summer program costs, negotiated salary increases, or other actions.

FES expansion: Remchuck explained that the Family Empowerment Scholarship program was expanded in 2023 to remove prior income limits; because FES funding follows students into private schools or homeschooling, that program’s rapid growth in the county is diverting state dollars away from the district. He said the district’s 2024–25 third‑calc shortfall included an underestimate of the local FES population by 635 students and that statewide underestimates contributed to lower district funding in Calc 3.

Operational steps announced by administration
- Hiring freeze and vacancy control: Superintendent Patton and staff said they froze all new district‑level position hires as of Feb. 1 and will route any requested positions through an allocation committee. They also said district office vacancies were reviewed and many openings have been closed to reduce spending. Patton said, “we froze all of, any new positions.”
- Immediate budget actions: staff said departments have been asked to restrict discretionary spending, freeze nonessential purchases, and review supplies and utilities line items for reductions. The administration told the board they already identified multiple smaller reductions in supplies and other nonpersonnel accounts.
- Recovery plan: staff committed to present a board recovery plan on April 1 that will include options for restoring the fund balance above the board’s 5% policy threshold (possible transfers, cuts, and one‑time versus recurring adjustments). Remchuck confirmed the district is considering allowable capital transfers and other statutory options and reminded trustees that some capital funds may not lawfully be used for recurring operating costs.

Board reaction and questions
Trustees expressed urgency and asked for explicit numbers and timelines. Board member Surdon warned against substituting capital funds for recurring operating costs, saying “Don’t take that bait,” and several trustees said they expect concrete line‑by‑line vacancy and savings tables in the April recovery plan. Board members also questioned whether negotiated salary proposals would be affordable given the projected fund balance; staff said the district modeled the previously discussed proposals and determined one recent offer would reduce the fund balance below 3%.

TRIM and next steps
Remchuck reviewed the TRIM calendar and statutory budget milestones (taxable value certification, RLE certification, tentative and final budget hearings). He told the board the district must submit a tentative budget in late July and adopt a final budget in September; the presentation also included the staff recommendation to use conservative FTE projections going forward to avoid a repeat of the March 3 third‑calc shortfall.

Ending
District staff said they will deliver a detailed vacancy and savings report and a written recovery plan at the April 1 meeting. Trustees acknowledged the need for immediate action and signaled they will make difficult choices to protect the district’s fiscal health and avoid a possible state takeover if the fund balance falls below the statutory threshold.","District finance staff told the School Board at a March 14 workshop that lower enrollment and faster expansion of the Family Empowerment Scholarship reduced the March FEFP third‑calc revenue by about $6.56 million and contributed to a projected fund‑balance decline to 4.41%; administrators announced a hiring freeze and said they will present a financial recovery plan April 1.","actionData","errors"]

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Alachua County schools report steady attendance, rising elementary discipline; district rolls out K‑12 LIFT and data‑dialogues

Budget workshop: declining enrollment and FES expansion cut state funding; district freezes hiring and will present recovery plan April 1