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District forecasts spring enrollment bumps but flags chronic absenteeism
Summary
Staff reported brick-and-mortar enrollment down roughly 20–25 students locally but said the high school typically sees post‑semester increases; the district’s chronic‑absence average is ~78% (goal 80%), and staff outlined truancy‑court processes and supports.
District staff told the board that while the overall December headcount was down modestly, seasonal changes usually produce higher high‑school counts after semester transitions and some students approved to start after the funding count will only appear in February data.
"I anticipate that we're gonna start seeing that... High school generally has more kids that come in later," Speaker 5 said when explaining how the district expects headcounts to shift around the semester boundaries. The presenter gave projected headcounts for January (elementary ~580, middle ~708–715, high school ~831) and said about 60 students were already approved for a January 13 start that would be reflected in later counts.
On attendance, Speaker 1 said the district’s chronic‑absence metric was about 78% with a goal of 80% and described building‑level supports (attendance clerks, principals, community liaisons) and a monthly review cadence. "One of the things that we do in the meetings is go back through the records... so who support our building principals and Tom to make sure all the paperwork is done before you file on somebody," Speaker 1 said, describing efforts to exhaust supports before seeking court involvement.
Speaker 6 (Tom) described Truancy Court procedures and said staff focus on engagement and family outreach before filing, and that public defenders may be involved only if cases escalate. Board members asked staff to return with follow‑up data on interventions and outcomes.
