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District staff says chronic absenteeism fell but three schools remain over state threshold
Summary
District staff presented the state-required chronic-absenteeism report, saying a student is chronically absent after missing 10% or more of days; staff named Ryerson (10.4%), Schuyler (12.1%) and GW (16%) as schools now requiring corrective-action plans.
District staff presented the Wayne Township Public School District’s annual report on chronic absenteeism and said the district has reduced the number of schools that exceed the state threshold.
"A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school days that they are currently in," a district staff member said, adding that the Department of Education publishes school-performance reports on its website and updates those annually. The presenter said last year five schools exceeded the 10% threshold; this year three schools exceed it: Ryerson at 10.4%, Schuyler at 12.1% and GW at 16%.
The presenter said that when a school exceeds the threshold the district must complete a corrective-action plan. "Each school has separate plans to identify ways to increase and continue with ascent with attendance," the presenter said, describing interventions that include after-school clubs, incentive programs for consistent attendance and coordinated check-ins with families and students.
A board member who spoke after the presentation described family outreach practices, saying the district sends reminder letters to families before labeling absences as chronic and that waivers may be considered for serious illness or family emergencies. "We send out letters as reminders, when students hit certain absence," the board member said, and emphasized the goal is not punitive but to ensure students are in seats where instruction happens.
Why it matters: chronic absenteeism is tied to learning loss and triggers mandatory corrective planning; the district’s drop from five schools to three above the threshold indicates some progress, while the named schools will be required to implement or continue targeted interventions.
Next steps: the district will implement and monitor corrective-action plans for the three schools identified; the presenter said updated school-performance reports will appear on the state Department of Education website when released.
(Reporting note: speaker names were not provided in the transcript; this article attributes quotes to functional roles stated in the record.)
