The Kane County Regional Office of Education told the Public Service Committee on Sept. 18 that chronic absenteeism has risen since the COVID‑19 pandemic and that it is helping districts implement research‑based, tiered interventions to improve attendance and student belonging.

Why it matters: Chronic absenteeism affects learning, school culture and long‑term student outcomes. The ROE said regular attendance is the first step; engagement and supports keep students in school.

What the ROE reported: Jordan Eccleston, professional learning supervisor, said the ROE works with teachers, MTSS teams and administrators to set attendance goals, implement personalized attendance campaigns, provide data‑tracking tools and increase family engagement. The ROE serves nine unit districts in the region and coordinates networks so schools can share practices.

Seminars and resources: The ROE and the juvenile justice committee are sponsoring a four‑part seminar series starting Oct. 23 at Elgin Community College; registration is posted at kaneroe.org and the first session is free. Committee members and attendees asked about district‑level data and causes; ROE staff said reasons vary by district but include socioeconomic barriers, health concerns, caregiving responsibilities and lingering pandemic habits.

Discussion vs. decision: The ROE presentation was informational; no committee motion or directive was recorded. Committee members asked for comparative data with neighboring counties and for district‑level breakdowns; staff offered to supply that information and noted each district runs different campaigns.

Ending: The committee thanked ROE staff and noted the seminar series as a forthcoming community resource.

Speakers
- Jordan Eccleston — professional learning supervisor, Kane County Regional Office of Education
- John (presenter/ROE representative) — Regional Office of Education (introduced Jordan)
- Greg Greif — committee member (asked follow‑up questions)
- Jared Lewis — committee member (requested district data)

Authorities
- {"type":"other","name":"Kan e County Regional Office of Education attendance support programs","referenced_by":["Jordan Eccleston","John (ROE representative)"]}

Actions
- {"kind":"other","identifiers":{},"motion":null,"mover":null,"second":null,"vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":0,"no":0,"abstain":0,"absent":0,"recused":0},"outcome":"no_action","notes":"ROE presentation was informational; no committee action recorded."}

discussion_decision":{"discussion_points":["ROE supports schools with tiered interventions, data tools and family engagement to reduce chronic absenteeism","Seminar series planned beginning Oct. 23 at Elgin Community College; registration at kaneroe.org","Causes vary by district, including socioeconomic, health and caregiving barriers"],"directions":["ROE to provide comparative district data and collar‑county comparisons on request"],"decisions":[]},

clarifying_details":[{"category":"service_area","detail":"ROE serves nine unit districts in the region.","value":9,"units":"districts","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Jordan Eccleston"},{"category":"seminar","detail":"Four‑part seminar series on absenteeism starting Oct. 23 at Elgin Community College; registration posted at kaneroe.org; first session is free.","value":4,"units":"sessions","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"ROE staff"}],

proper_names":[{"name":"Kane County Regional Office of Education","type":"agency"},{"name":"Elgin Community College","type":"location"},{"name":"kaneroe.org","type":"other"}],

community_relevance":{"geographies":["Kane County"],"funding_sources":[],"impact_groups":["students","families","school districts"]},

meeting_context":{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":4,"duration_minutes":25,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"low","history":[]},

searchable_tags":["education","absenteeism","ROE","Elgin Community College"],

provenance":{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"3558.25","local_start":0,"local_end":420,"evidence_excerpt":"Okay. So over the past few years, we've seen a rise in chronic absenteeism across the state...So 1 of the key ways we're supporting this effort is by helping educators...we're working directly with teachers, MTSS teams, administrators to implement a tiered interventions...we're working to increase family engagement and improve communication around attendance...","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"4295.59","local_start":0,"local_end":200,"evidence_excerpt":"We have registration posted on our website, so kaner0e.org. It's a 4 part series. The first 1 is October 23, and it's free.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]},