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District highlights attendance campaign, unveils student PSAs and partner incentives
Summary
Springfield Public Schools presented 'Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow,' described attendance gains in some schools, and showed student-made PSAs; partners including MGM Springfield and Domino's provided incentives for improved attendance.
District officials and school safety staff briefed the School Committee on March 13 about the attend‑today, achieve‑tomorrow attendance campaign and unveiled student-produced public service announcements created by participating schools.
Chief Jose Escribano and the district attendance manager described work launched at the start of the school year to raise awareness and reduce chronic absenteeism. Staff said the campaign has produced modest districtwide gains: staff cited a 1% increase in average daily attendance in some schools and a 5% reduction in chronic absenteeism at others.
The district described a range of outreach work, advertising and community partnerships supporting the initiative: paid bus advertising, a MassMutual Center billboard donated for messaging, and incentives from MGM Springfield (overnight stays and meals) and local Domino’s franchises to reward families with students maintaining 100% attendance for a marking period. The committee heard that 12 schools produced 30‑second PSAs, and the committee viewed a selection of the videos; Emergence Academy’s PSA also won a statewide contest and will be shared beyond the district.
Attendance staff described a new focus on meeting families, diagnosing root causes of absenteeism, and using an attendance team to quickly identify and support students who are missing school. Committee members asked about data sharing and revival of a community data warehouse; district IT staff said they are transitioning data systems and will pursue data‑sharing agreements as an interim option while rebuilding the warehouse.
Officials said the campaign will expand incentives, consider a districtwide walking school‑bus program and continue to highlight student voices about the importance of daily attendance.
