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Gilmer County board hears Communities in Schools update; attendance rates down and funding outlook uncertain
Summary
Miss Mason updated the board on the Communities in Schools program, saying chronically absent rates have fallen to about 17% and describing partner-led services and a state earmark; board members pressed for clearer reporting and noted staffing and funding declines since program start-up.
Miss Mason, the presenter for the Communities in Schools program in Gilmer County, told the board the program — implemented in the 2022 school year — has produced measurable gains in academics and attendance and now emphasizes reducing chronic absenteeism. “We are currently at about 17% for our chronically absent rate,” she said, and added the county monitors students and cohorts monthly.
Miss Mason described CIS’s tiered approach to supports (tier 1–3), evidence-based curricula such as Journey of Hope and Second Steps, and the role of community partners in delivering programming and incentives. “We have over 30 community partners,” she said, noting partners provide supports CIS cannot fund directly. She said CIS does not pay for incentives herself: “Communities and Schools does not pay for those,” she said; partners sometimes supply rewards or events.
On funding, Miss Mason cited House Bill 201 and said the state earmarked $10,000,000 for Communities in Schools for fiscal 2025; she said the state expects counties to sustain programs and that start-up funding typically tapers off. Board members raised concern about staffing: the county began with three CIS positions and currently has two. Miss Mason said the state’s model provides initial startup budgets that decline over time and counties are expected to plan for sustainability.
Board members asked for better public reporting of CIS outcomes. The chair said the board would like more regular updates tied to the district’s strategic plan, and a board member requested a site-coordinator report to be provided as part of continuous-improvement reporting. Speaker 4 (a district staff presenter) encouraged regular reporting and use of the district’s scorecard.
Why it matters: The board cited attendance as a key lever for student learning; members said sustaining CIS positions and clearer public reports will be necessary if the district is to maintain the declines in chronic absenteeism. Next steps: board members requested routine reporting from the CIS site coordinator and more frequent data presentations to the board.
