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Fillmore Unified reports midyear enrollment of 3,663 and attendance recovery gains
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Roger Adams reported midyear enrollment of 3,663 and a district attendance rate near 95%, outlined attendance-recovery work (Saturday schools, short-term independent study, home visits) and said chronic absenteeism has improved but remains a priority as the district aims for a 97% target.
Assistant Superintendent Roger Adams presented the district's midyear enrollment and attendance update and described targeted strategies to recover missed instructional days.
Adams said Census Day enrollment stood at 3,663 students and highlighted site-level counts (Sierra High at 72 students; HVIS at 50). He reported a midyear average daily attendance (ADA) around 94.94% (rounded to 95%), noting that while the district has not reached its 97% goal, it has shown steady improvements and site-level successes, particularly at Piru and Rio Vista.
To address absences, Adams detailed attendance-recovery approaches: Saturday school academies focused on STEM/STEAM, short-term independent study to recover up to 15 days, targeted home visits and family outreach, and classroom incentives such as a nine-piece puzzle recognition system that rewards on-time attendance. He said Rio Vista had over 250 students recognized monthly for perfect attendance and used Saturday-school programming to recover ADA that subsequently increased reported attendance rates when records were updated.
Adams said chronic absenteeism has fallen from historical highs (he cited earlier rates of 28% in 2022–23 and noted progress to 19.2% in 2023–24 before a slight bump) and that the district is focusing on groups with higher absence rates: Hispanic students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities and others. He described the district’s work with an attendance data vendor (Attend2) to benchmark Fillmore’s rates relative to peer districts.
Trustees asked how to expand recovery options, particularly at the middle-school level where short-term independent study practices are seen as a model, and about operational constraints such as 20:1 ratios for credit-bearing recovery programs. Staff said they will provide more specifics and a chart identifying where committee members are still needed for other items such as the bond oversight appointments.
The presentation closed with a reminder that attendance recovery is data-driven and involves targeted family outreach and coordinated site practices; trustees praised site-level efforts and asked staff to continue reporting progress.
