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Board reviews attendance data as it weighs starting school before Labor Day and calendar adjustments
Summary
Administrators presented attendance data showing notable spikes in student and staff absences the week before Thanksgiving (cited averages and specific days), prompting board discussion about calendar timing, makeup days and instructional time; no final calendar decision was recorded in the transcript.
Astoria School District 1 board members discussed potential calendar changes after administrators presented attendance figures showing recurring spikes in absences the week before Thanksgiving.
An administrator explained the data: "On the average, week before Thanksgiving, we have 135 kids absent on the average," and cited a recent November when the district recorded 204 student absences on the Monday before Thanksgiving and 260 on Tuesday. The administrator also reported staff absences, noting an average of 37 the week before Thanksgiving and counts of 46 and 47 on the Monday and Tuesday of the holiday week in one year cited.
The administrator said the two missed instructional days would be made up at the end of the year and highlighted tradeoffs associated with starting the school year before Labor Day, including additional paydays earlier in the year. Board members asked clarifying questions about how the makeup days would be scheduled and how the calendar change would affect families and staff.
Why it matters: the district is weighing instructional quality versus calendar timing; repeated pre-holiday absences can reduce meaningful instructional time and influence how the district schedules the school year.
No formal vote or final calendar decision is recorded in this transcript excerpt. The board indicated it will provide a full calendar to members and continue discussions at future meetings.
