River Falls leaders press attendance focus after midyear data shows 8% chronically absent

River Falls School District Superintendent Dr. Sherman told the school board on March that the district considers students chronically absent if they miss more than 10% of school days and recorded just over 8% of students meeting that definition in the 2023–24 school year.

The superintendent said overall district attendance rates were “a little over 95%” but that chronic absence is the metric the district tracks most closely because it predicts diminished academic progress. “We see that as a really important trigger point,” Dr. Sherman said.

The district outlined a continuum of supports it applies before referring families to court, describing the courts as a last resort and saying the district is required to report truancy when statutory thresholds are met. School-level strategies include a student…