Attendance improving in Norton schools; chronically absent rates falling toward pre-pandemic levels

The Norton School Committee heard a data-driven update on April 15 showing steady improvements in attendance after pandemic-era spikes in chronic absenteeism.

Dr. Brian Ackerman, presenting longitudinal data from 2018 through part of 2026, framed attendance as a "traffic light" metric: 95% and above is green, 91—34% is a cautionary yellow, and 90% or below triggers concern about learning loss. He defined chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of school days (about 18 days) and said the district has focused interventions on cohorts with elevated risk.

Ackerman said the district-level daily attendance rate has hovered in the mid-to-high 90s and that 2025-26 shows gains over 2024-25 across several buildings. "If we can get to 95 and above... I think we'll all feel really good about that," he said.

The presentation highlighted disproportionate impacts during and after COVID on high-needs students, students with disabilities and English-language learners. Ackerman and committee members noted notable reductions from '24-'25 to '25-'26 and attributed progress to coordinated efforts including DESE grant-funded capacity building, updated student-handbook policies, and guidance-team interventions.

Committee members asked about excused versus unexcused absences and how the data are reported; Ackerman said DESE data do not distinguish excused from unexcused in the daily-attendance rate but chronic-absence metrics drive intervention. The committee praised staff for the work and noted further attention to pockets of need remains important.

No formal votes were required; the presentation was informational and will inform ongoing attendance interventions.