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PGCPS launches Attendance Ambassador program after district reports nearly 3% drop in chronic absenteeism
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Summary
Prince George's County Public Schools announced a new Attendance Ambassador program and said districtwide chronic absenteeism fell nearly 3% in recent data; board members pressed for disaggregated data and community partnerships as staff detailed targeted interventions and a countywide outreach strategy.
Prince George's County Public Schools on April 23 unveiled an Attendance Ambassador program and reported a nearly 3% reduction in districtwide chronic absenteeism, officials told the Board of Education.
District staff defined chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of enrolled days and said the March report from the Office of Monitoring and Accountability showed improvement across most grade bands, though middle‑school chronic absenteeism ticked up about 0.5%. At a board presentation, the district's attendance lead said staff had investigated root causes — including family responsibilities, lack of engagement, transportation problems and school‑climate issues — and identified five winning strategies used by schools that reduced absenteeism by double digits.
The district outlined an Attendance Ambassador program that will recruit partners from families, faith groups, nonprofit organizations and local businesses to deliver a consistent message about the importance of daily attendance and connect families to support. Officials said the district will use a daily entry analytics report so principals can quickly see attendance patterns, require summer programs and interventions to set measurable goals, and continue student focus groups started at Surrattsville to learn the “why” behind absences.
“We have reduced our chronic absenteeism by almost 3%,” the district presenter stated during the briefing, noting the data come from the March monitoring report. He also said the state's attorney provided a $1,000,000 grant to support 15 high‑need schools through targeted services tied to attendance work.
Board members sought more detail on the data and the program's design. Several asked for disaggregated figures that separate excused and unlawful absences and for a clearer breakdown of staff positions to serve special‑education students during extended‑year services. One board member asked whether district calendars, early‑dismissal days or transportation practices might be contributing to absences; staff said the attendance task force reviews policies annually and will incorporate such questions into its work.
Questions about law‑enforcement partnerships also surfaced. The district described a pilot where local officers are being positioned as mentors and community partners rather than as punitive actors; officials said the aim is to humanize officers for students, not to use enforcement to locate truant students.
The district invited board members and the public to a press conference launching the Attendance Ambassador program at Andrew Jackson Academy at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, where officials will provide additional materials and explain how partners can sign up.
The board did not vote on new policy changes that night; the presentation and the launch date were the principal outcomes reported at the meeting.
