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Kenmore-Tonawanda superintendent makes attendance a priority, cites chronic-absence benchmarks
Summary
Superintendent Samato told trustees chronic absenteeism is a major district priority, defining chronic absence as roughly 18 school days per year and describing measurement and procedural work (Infinite Campus) to reduce absences and improve outcomes.
Superintendent Samato told the board the district will launch a multiyear push to reduce chronic absenteeism, calling attendance “a huge variable” affecting long‑term outcomes.
Samato explained the district’s working definition: "To be chronically absent, a child misses approximately 2 days per month. 18 days a year is that magic number." He told trustees research and district data show chronically absent students are far less likely to achieve grade‑level reading proficiency or persist in postsecondary education, and he urged a community partnership to reverse pandemic‑era normalization of absenteeism.
The superintendent highlighted several operational challenges the district is addressing: inconsistent absence definitions in Infinite Campus, how BOCES and off‑site placements are counted, and schedule issues that can affect high‑school period attendance. He said the district has convened teams to clarify procedures, clean up Infinite Campus coding, and consider scheduling and outreach strategies so families get consistent guidance about when a child should remain home for illness versus attend school.
Samato framed the work as both immediate and long term: data cleanup and communications are expected now, with additional policy and scheduling conversations to follow. He invited the board to hold him accountable to the stated goals and said more details will come as the district refines its attendance strategy.
