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District reports 4-point drop in regular attendance; outlines letters, incentives and parent outreach
Summary
Staff told the Parent Advisory Council districtwide regular attendance dropped by about 4 percentage points (to 68%), meaning roughly 32% of students were missing more than 18 days; the district plans revised attendance letters, parent education, open houses and incentives such as attendance-based dance eligibility to improve rates.
District staff told the Parent Advisory Council that regular attendance fell by roughly 4 percentage points districtwide, and that about 32% of students missed more than 18 days last year — a level the presenter described as chronic absenteeism.
The staff member explained how absences are calculated, noting partial-day removals count toward the absence totals under middle- and high-school scheduling. The district plans to change the tone and timing of attendance letters (with new messages at 5, 10 and 15 absences), reinstate open-house events, run parent-education work groups, and pilot incentives such as making some high-school events contingent on attendance. "The letters pretty much say we miss you. It's important you're here," the presenter said.
Staff emphasized a shift away from purely punitive approaches and toward engagement: letters will be supportive for excused absences while unexcused absences will still be treated as truancy. The district will identify parents of students at about 80% attendance for targeted conversations and deploy attendance coordinators at each school. Staff said they will provide more data and report back on the effectiveness of incentives and outreach in future meetings.
