District task force outlines attendance strategy as officials present enrollment snapshot
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Summary
An attendance task force presented draft goals for an aligned, equitable system; district staff also presented a detailed enrollment and demographics snapshot showing 5,210 students and rising diversity ahead of the November referendum.
The Austin Public School District’s attendance task force presented a draft guiding-change document and recommended priorities to increase student attendance, while district staff presented an enrollment and demographic snapshot that officials said will inform attendance and support work.
Blake Henry, introduced as a co-leader of the attendance task force, said the group is focusing on five priorities including aligned district systems, stronger family and community partnerships, culturally responsive practices, seamless transitions between grade levels, and training and support for staff. Henry said the task force’s next meeting will include a speaker on rethinking chronic absenteeism and that the group will return findings to the board in December.
Earlier in the meeting, a district staff presenter summarized enrollment figures and demographics. The presentation showed a district headcount of 5,210 students as of the most recent Friday and noted year-to-year shifts in grade cohorts. The presenter said 62.7% of students are students of color (up from 61.4% certified last year), approximately 55% qualify for educational benefits (free/reduced-price lunch) as of the current reporting week, and 40.2% of students speak a primary language other than English. The presenter said about 26% of students receive English-language development services and approximately 19% receive special-education services.
The presenter and board members discussed the link between attendance and academic outcomes. The presentation included district analysis showing that high school students attending 90% or more of the time had average GPAs above 3.0 and earned substantially more credits than students with lower attendance; similar gaps were shown on state assessments for younger grades. Board members praised the task force’s collaborative membership and urged continued focus on concrete, short-term actions to address daily coverage and chronic absenteeism.
The task force will continue monthly meetings and move from framing to identifying implementable practices and communications for families, the presenters said.
