Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Attendance And Equity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears rising chronic truancy and McKinney‑Vento attendance challenges; staff outlines home visits and targeted supports
Summary
District data show chronic truancy rose to about 24% by quarter 3 and McKinney‑Vento students face the highest attendance challenges (around 40%); staff described outreach strategies (phone/text, home visits, family outreach, referrals) and plans to use student survey data to tailor interventions.
District staff presented attendance and McKinney‑Vento data that showed a decline in overall attendance across quarters and growing chronic truancy and absenteeism in particular student groups.
An administrator summarized year‑to‑date figures (through the most recent reporting week), saying chronic truancy increased from about 20% in quarter 1 to about 24% in quarter 3 and that students identified under McKinney‑Vento experienced the most severe attendance challenges, with chronic truancy levels approaching 40%. The administrator highlighted disparities among subgroups: Hispanic and African American students showed notable rises in truancy and absenteeism while Asian students maintained comparatively higher attendance.
To respond, staff described a multi‑tiered approach: individualized phone outreach and texting to families, monthly attendance letters with each student’s attendance percentages, targeted home visits and referrals to outside agencies for mental-health or family supports, attendance goal‑setting meetings with social workers, counselors and deans, and collaboration with a Family Outreach team that served 61 new families this year (59% focused on attendance). The presenter said the attendance PLT (problem‑solving team) meets to review data and coordinate supports.
Board members sought more detail on how the measurements are calculated and whether the headline percentages are a snapshot affected by timing and recording practices; staff explained the calculation uses period-level attendance aggregated into half‑days and full days, and that numbers can adjust as parent verifications (doctor notes, court dates) are added. Staff offered to share the SchoolLinks survey results and the underlying attendance calculations with the board for deeper review.
Board members asked whether community factors (immigration enforcement anxiety, housing instability) or extracurricular involvement affect attendance; staff said community and family contexts can contribute for some students but emphasized that the data indicate multiple, individualized causes and that no single intervention fits every case. Where families qualify for McKinney‑Vento supports, outreach and community partnerships (including a local pantry and We Go Together for Kids) aim to reduce barriers.
The presenter said the district will provide a fuller analysis once all survey data are completed and will return with recommended interventions based on students’ stated motivations for attending school and identified barriers.
