East Hardy Elementary principal reports rising attendance, warns families about new third‑grade retention rule

Mrs. Morris, the principal at East Hardy Elementary, told the Hardy County Schools board that attendance at her school is “definitely trending upwards” after the district shifted the start of the school year and increased daily outreach to families.

Why it matters: The school reported better August and September attendance compared with the previous four years, officials said, and credited earlier vacations and more aggressive absence follow‑up. At the same time, a severe flu outbreak in February produced the lowest monthly attendance in four years, underscoring how illness can quickly reverse gains.

In her presentation, Mrs. Morris described a set of practices the school has used to boost presence and early‑year outcomes: daily messages from a communities‑of‑schools coordinator to families when absence lists are received; teacher data meetings to form tier‑2 and tier‑3 intervention groups; and assignment of staff to personally greet chronically absent students. She said these steps also increased the number of absences coded as excused because families turned in medical notes more often.

The principal also walked the board through assessment and intervention work. East Hardy uses periodic data meetings that include classroom teachers, interventionists and administrators to identify students who need targeted instruction; across grade levels the school has scheduled regular half‑hour intervention blocks and rotates staff so each student receives time with specialists.

On state policy, Mrs. Morris told the board she has scheduled meetings with second‑grade families about House Bill 3035, West Virginia’s third‑grade retention framework. “I just want to be proactive and make sure that they are aware of the legislation,” she said, explaining that the current second‑grade class will face the law’s retention provisions when they test in third grade. She said the school will flag students who might qualify for exceptions and work with families on summer‑school or other supports.

Numbers and capacity: Mrs. Morris said the school currently has about 351 students and estimated chronic absenteeism near 15% so far this year (a midyear estimate she said will shift if spring attendance improves). She reported 36 students currently in the school’s SAT (Student Assistance Team) process and said about 29% of students receive IEP services of some kind, including speech and gifted designations.

What’s next: The principal asked the board to consider staffing for additional intervention capacity; she said one more interventionist would materially expand the school’s ability to run small groups and accelerate growth. She also noted the school’s continuing Lighthouse status and the plan to pursue re‑certification next year.

The board did not take formal action at the presentation. The meeting moved on to other school reports afterward.