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

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:…