Revere schools report drop in attendance; committee orders deeper period-by-period analysis

The Committee of the Whole of the Revere School Committee heard on Feb. 25, 2025, that districtwide attendance has declined slightly compared with last year, and members asked staff for a deeper analysis of attendance by class period and follow-up with student engagement liaisons.

Dr. Kelly told the committee that for the last week in January the district attendance was 90% this year compared with 92% the same week last year, with elementary down from 93% to 90%, middle school 92% to 91% and high school 87% to 86%. For the first week in February the district rate fell from 92% last year to 87% this year, with the high school moving from 86% to 85%.

Those figures matter because attendance affects both daily instructional time and state reporting to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Committee members pressed for a clearer breakdown of when students are present during the day and for more information on whether absences reflect health-related leave, participation in internships or dual enrollment, or chronic truancy.

"Last year we had 92% attendance. This year is 90 overall for the district," Dr. Kelly said, summarizing the comparative figures for the committee. When asked whether the declines could be tied to a single factor, Dr. Kelly said she could not attribute the change to a single cause and noted that a severe cold and flu season was likely contributing to higher short-term absences.

Committee member John Kingston asked for an analysis by period to identify whether students arrive for second or third period but miss the attendance threshold for a full-day credit. Dr. Kelly explained that at the high school a student must attend three or more periods to receive a daily attendance credit and that attendance is recorded each period.

The committee agreed to request a period-by-period attendance analysis and to convene a subcommittee that would include student support liaisons and principals so those staff who make outreach calls can describe what they are hearing from students and families. Dr. Kelly said she receives daily attendance reports from central staff and that student support specialists already reach out to truant students, but welcomed a deeper dive to inform any further policy steps.

The committee also asked staff to share the next DESE attendance-submission dates; Dr. Kelly said DESE submissions occur in March and June and offered to provide the DESE-submission data the committee requested.

Next steps: staff will produce the requested period-by-period analysis and compile DESE‑reporting snapshots for the committee and subcommittee to review at a future meeting.