District outlines new state attendance index and launches 'Every Student Every Day Counts' campaign

John, a district presenter, told the board the state has moved from reporting only chronic absenteeism to an Attendance Performance Index that “really now accounts for every student in the school, not just your kids that are chronically absent.” He explained the index uses weighted levels — level 4 (best attendance, up to 4.9%), level 3 (4.9 to 9.9%), level 2 (10 to 14.9%) and level 1 (15% or more) — and that small shifts across many students can materially change a building's score. He illustrated the calculation with a 100-student example and said the index is divided by the number of students enrolled more than 30 days and multiplied by 100 to produce a score.

John outlined district responses to the change: daily monitoring via SchoolTool, tiered interventions and a public campaign. Tier 1 steps include building a welcoming culture, attendance messaging in newsletters and recognition for improved attendance. For students who show concerning patterns (tier 2), the district will use early meetings, attendance mentors and biweekly progress monitoring. Tier 3 cases receive individualized wraparound services integrating instruction, behavior supports and social-emotional learning.

The district described operational steps for rapid contact: an automated ParentSquare message on day one, personalized calls by day three, home visits by day six when appropriate, and a Request for Assistance (RFA) at day nine that triggers a multidisciplinary intervention plan. "We're going to conduct home visits," John said of the day-6 step, adding principals, counselors and SROs may be involved in door-to-door outreach. He emphasized the approach is meant to identify barriers (transportation, housing, clothing, counseling access) and provide supports rather than to punish families.

Board members pressed implementation details. On suspensions, John clarified that out-of-school suspensions treated as "program changes" do not automatically count against attendance when the student receives required tutoring; he said the district provides three hours per day of tutoring at the secondary level and two hours in elementary when required. On tardiness and early-release patterns, John said repeated partial-day absences would be investigated and addressed with supports similar to whole-day absences. The district also plans an attendance campaign using the message "every student every day counts" and will pilot positive messaging such as thank-you notes for families with strong attendance.