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Attendance task force and data snapshot link attendance to achievement; district down ~188 students from last year
Summary
Attendance task force leads outlined focus areas for chronic absenteeism; Information Services Director Corey Hawkins presented an enrollment snapshot (5,210 students as of the Oct. anchor, down 188 from last year) and showed strong correlations between attendance rates and GPA/credits earned.
Austin Public Schools presented task force work and a district enrollment and attendance analysis to the board on Oct. 13. Attendance task force co‑leads described a guiding change document, five focus areas including family partnerships and culturally responsive practice, and a plan to hear an outside speaker on Nov. 20 about rethinking chronic absenteeism.
Information Services Director Corey Hawkins provided the district snapshot using an Oct. 1 anchor: total enrollment at the time was 5,210 students, down 188 from the same date last year. Hawkins gave cohort‑level detail (for example, kindergarten counts were lower than last year) and described high mobility within cohorts (many individual student in‑ and outflows that can net small cohort changes).
Hawkins also reviewed demographic measures: 62.7% of students of color; about 55% eligible for free/reduced‑price meals (down slightly from last year’s certified 59.1%); about 40.2% of students have a primary language other than English; roughly 26% receive dual‑language services; special education enrollment was given as about 18.8% for the current year. Hawkins stressed language diversity, noting that the district serves a high share of certain language populations statewide.
On attendance impacts, Hawkins showed student‑level analyses: students attending 90%+ of school averaged GPAs above 3.07 and earned about 6.47 credits on average (helpful toward the 24‑credit graduation requirement), while students attending below 70% averaged GPAs near or below 1.0 and earned far fewer credits. Hawkins framed attendance improvement as a direct lever for student achievement and said task forces will continue to develop coordinated interventions.
Why it matters: Enrollment and attendance trends influence district funding, program planning and targeted interventions for students at risk of falling behind academically. The data provided context for the task force strategies the board is considering.
What’s next: The attendance task force will meet again, host a subject‑matter speaker on Nov. 20, and report back with specific actions; staff will monitor enrollment trends throughout the year and return certified counts in March 2026.
