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Regional Office of Education reports $290,000 truancy grant and improved exits, warns caseload could rise with colder weather
Summary
ROE representatives told the committee they were awarded about $290,000 for truancy work, reported roughly 200 successful exits and strong outreach metrics, and said staffing and program expansion across districts is underway even as grant uncertainty persists.
A representative from the Regional Office of Education told the Peoria County committee the ROE received about $290,000 in a recent truancy grant award and has had strong program performance to date. "We have about 200 exits so far," the ROE representative said, and described 1,400 visits and 780 contacts through calls, texts and emails as part of the intervention effort.
The ROE said that success at keeping students engaged has resulted in fewer lingering cases, but staff expect caseloads to rise with colder weather. The office also reported commitments from nine school districts for alternative learning opportunities (and expectation of a 10th) and noted growth in overall ROE staffing (about 75 total staff projected) to support those programs.
Members asked for clarity about the attendance and referral charts. The ROE clarified that the color coding reflects attendance thresholds (green above 80%, red below), and that referral counts differ from caseload counts because referrals are incoming reports while the caseload is the number of students currently being served.
The office also acknowledged staff turnover in grant coordination: Tom Zimmerman, a grant coordinator who helped secure several awards, will leave the ROE later this week for a position in Tallahassee. The ROE said grant-writing capacity will be shifted to team members and that hiring will be cautious while funding uncertainty continues.
No formal action was taken; the report was informational. The ROE asked to take early questions because of scheduling constraints and then left to attend other commitments.
