District reports 13 high-school truancy filings; attendance near expected levels

Hazel and district staff presented attendance and truancy data at the Nov. 12 meeting. The district reported no elementary truancy filings for the period and 13 filings for Forks High School; those students were either sent to court or offered mediation and improvement plans.

Hazel said average daily attendance generally hovers between 93% and 95% and that the district monitors chronic absenteeism closely. She told the board the district ended the prior school year with roughly 70% of students in “regular attendance” (defined as missing not more than two days a month) and noted the national figure sits around 74%. “Our goal is to achieve 80% this year,” Hazel said.

The district described a proactive attendance team that includes building principals, support staff and outreach; Tony Demarest from the sheriff’s office volunteered to assist with serving papers for truancy filings when needed. Board members asked whether repeat students from prior years were appearing again on the list; staff confirmed some students were carryovers and that the district uses progressive interventions before formal filings.

Next steps: continue monthly attendance-team meetings, targeted parent outreach and mediation before court filing when possible.