Constance Lane's outreach and a new 'bike bus' help cut chronic absenteeism, RPS 205 presenters say

Constance Lane Elementary's principal and the district's director of attendance told the Rockford Public Schools Committee of the Whole that a mix of family partnership strategies and targeted programs have driven measurable declines in chronic absenteeism.

"Our daily attendance is up by 3%, which means that nearly 290 more students are in classrooms every single day compared to last school year," Maureen Kirschman, director of attendance and community engagement, said during the Nov. committee meeting. She emphasized that the district's approach focuses on relationships rather than only compliance.

Principal Brian Doring outlined Constance Lane's multi-year effort, saying the school reduced its chronic absenteeism rate from a historically high level to roughly 30.5% today. "When I went to Constance Lane, four years ago, I believe we were actually at 76 percent chronically absent, and we brought that down significantly," Doring said, describing a combination of strategies that include weekly attendance team meetings, parent liaisons, targeted co-curricular activities and low- and no-cost celebrations.

Doring and Kirschman said several specific programs helped: a Swahili-language outreach group called Saka and Moja focused on a large Swahili-speaking student population; a community-supported 'bike bus' (led by volunteer Charles Wyatt, known to students as "Mister C") provides pickup and group rides to school; and partnerships with local organizations such as Rockford Barbell, a music academy and a community garden have created incentives and supports that encourage regular attendance.

On the bike bus, Doring said volunteers and a part-time parent liaison coordinate routes; the program began after a local bike-club donation of roughly 40 bicycles and includes safety training, locks and a donated permanent bike pump for the school. "He rides a route through, and he picks up all the kids, and then he rides them up to school," Doring said of Wyatt; Kirschman added that the district plans a before- and after-school extended-day program as routes and staffing allow.

Board members responded with praise and asked staff to replicate effective tactics across other schools. Kirschman noted the district had presented its attendance work at the Illinois Title Directors Conference and urged board members to visit Constance Lane to see the model in action.

The presentation concluded with staff agreeing to continue tracking attendance trends and to expand promising practices, while answering board questions about weather contingencies and staffing for expanded-day services.