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District reports chronic-absence improvements but high school rate near 25%; board seeks excused/unexcused breakdown
Summary
The district reported declining chronic absenteeism over several years but noted nearly 24–25% of high school students met the chronic-absence threshold (missing 10% or more of the school year). Board members requested a breakdown of excused versus unexcused absences and time-of-day patterns to guide interventions.
District staff presented the 2024–25 chronic absenteeism report and described trends over roughly a decade, noting overall improvement from several years ago but persistent challenges at the high-school level.
The presenter reminded the board that a student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year — "the equivalent of about 18 days of school." The presenter said district-level chronic-absence figures have improved compared with four or five years ago, but acknowledged the high-school baseline at roughly 24–25% remains a concern.
Board members asked whether the district tracks correlations between absenteeism and student achievement and requested more granular data. "Could you also...drill down the percentages to which ones are actually unexcused versus excused?" one board member asked, and another suggested analyzing where in the day absences occur to identify patterns and board interventions.
The presenter noted some absences (medical excusals and school activities) do not count toward chronic absenteeism but cautioned that pre-excused absences still count in the district’s chronic-absence totals; transcripts record a statement that state statute guarantees 10 pre-excused absences per student during the year.
No policy change was adopted at the meeting; board members asked for follow-up data requested during discussion.
