An informational session on pupil accounting and attendance highlighted reporting and monitoring challenges tied to differences between daily membership (days) and instructional hours.

Aaron Brough, director of data and statistics, explained that the state's funding and ADM (annual daily membership) calculations rely on day counts (a 180-day model) rather than clocked instructional hours after the earlier 990-hour requirement was relaxed. The change complicates cross-district comparisons and monitoring when schools operate different schedules, partial days, or activity-based programs.

Attendance specialist Megan Memlov told the committee the attendance audit found inconsistencies in documentation of excused/unedited absences and that districts sometimes lack standardized processes to show supporting evidence for excused or exempt attendance. Committee members debated whether the rule should require more precise reporting or leave flexibility to local SIS systems; members noted other states use more granular attendance codes and that a future statewide SIS modernization (referred to as the 5-0-8 project in the meeting) could make more complex reporting feasible.

Committee members asked staff to bring back proposed clarifying edits to R277-419 next month where feasible, but they also acknowledged that a major systems change would better resolve some issues. Staff said they will continue to work with LEAs to improve data quality and bring proposed language changes to the committee.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and attributed to the meeting record.