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Kankakee SD 111 outlines attendance campaign to reduce chronic absenteeism from 46% toward 20%
Summary
District student support services reported on attendance data and interventions, saying chronic absenteeism reached 46% last year and describing tiered supports, SEL coaching, community partnerships and targeted services to reduce absences; the team asked for board support and offered opportunities for board members to participate in outreach.
Kankakee SD 111's student support services presented attendance data and a district plan to reduce chronic absenteeism, describing early-warning indicators, tiered supports and community partnerships to get students back in school.
Kim Starkey, director on the student support team, told the board that chronic absenteeism has risen nationally since 2020 and that the district's rate had been 46% last year for students missing 18 or more days. "Last year we were at 46 percent of our kiddos that chronic chronic absenteeism," Starkey said. She set an aspirational district target to reduce chronic absenteeism toward 20 percent and stressed the role of social-emotional learning, families and school climate in improving attendance.
Starkey described tactics the district is using: early identification of students at risk using data, biweekly building-level data reviews, MTSS-tiered interventions, SEL coaching (Capturing Kids' Hearts and other SEL curriculum), family communication strategies (including ParentSquare messages), partnerships with community agencies to address transportation and health barriers, expanding wraparound services and encouraging positive school climate and school-door greetings. She invited board members to participate in visible outreach, including home visits with administrators.
The board responded with appreciation for principals and families; administrators and board members noted progress in some schools and reinforced the value of celebrating attendance improvements.
Next steps: continue biweekly reviews, scale targeted supports, and engage community partners; the SSDP team asked for board assistance in outreach and visibility to encourage student attendance.
