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Task force members say data gaps in reading and transportation drive absenteeism
Summary
Members of the Knox County Task Force said gaps in data about poverty, reading proficiency and transportation are preventing the group from accurately identifying needs and targeting resources to reduce student absenteeism.
Committee member said the task force needs a clearer inventory of where service gaps exist and what resources are already available, linking that work to earlier poverty research that informed the group's priorities. "So just really figuring out what is the best way to get the most accurate data so that we can identify all of the the reasonable gaps," the committee member said.
Members highlighted transportation as a concrete driver of absenteeism, saying buses do not always serve students in certain mile ranges and may not run in bad weather, leaving some children without reliable access to school. The committee member argued that accurate, localized data on attendance and transit access is necessary before the task force can recommend targeted interventions or funding priorities.
