Los Banos Unified board hears vendor data showing drop in chronic absenteeism
April 12, 2024 | Los Banos Unified, School Districts, California
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Los Banos Unified School District trustees on Tuesday heard a presentation from vendor representative Nick Gilstrap showing year‑over‑year attendance gains and a sharp drop in chronic absenteeism.
Gilstrap, the customer success manager for the district's attendance vendor, told the board the district’s chronic absenteeism rate was about 24% this year, down from roughly 32% at the same point last year. “We actually have over 1,200 students who have excellent attendance,” he said, adding the district has seen improvement across almost every grade level and particularly among younger students.
The presentation credited automated interventions and staff conferences. Gilstrap said the vendor sent 14,000 tier‑1 intervention mailings this year and reported a 59% “save rate” after the first letter: “So 59 percent of the students who received their first letter, they stopped missing school,” he said. He also said conferences recorded in the system showed a 54% improvement in attendance among a sample of students after meetings were held.
Superintendent Dr. Marshall highlighted the progress in his report and thanked staff for targeted efforts. Board members asked for additional context: Member Katuso requested pre‑pandemic comparisons to set a longer baseline, and Gilstrap said he could supply those figures on request. Member Munoz asked whether the mailings were individualized; Gilstrap confirmed the notifications are tied to each student’s record and are not mass mailings.
Why it matters: Chronic absenteeism is tied to learning loss; trustees and district staff framed the vendor data as evidence that combined automated outreach and in‑person interventions are moving students back into class. The board encouraged continued focus on families and early‑grade attendance strategies.
Next steps: The board asked the vendor to provide pre‑pandemic attendance comparisons and continued monitoring of conference effectiveness. No formal action was required on the report.
Gilstrap, the customer success manager for the district's attendance vendor, told the board the district’s chronic absenteeism rate was about 24% this year, down from roughly 32% at the same point last year. “We actually have over 1,200 students who have excellent attendance,” he said, adding the district has seen improvement across almost every grade level and particularly among younger students.
The presentation credited automated interventions and staff conferences. Gilstrap said the vendor sent 14,000 tier‑1 intervention mailings this year and reported a 59% “save rate” after the first letter: “So 59 percent of the students who received their first letter, they stopped missing school,” he said. He also said conferences recorded in the system showed a 54% improvement in attendance among a sample of students after meetings were held.
Superintendent Dr. Marshall highlighted the progress in his report and thanked staff for targeted efforts. Board members asked for additional context: Member Katuso requested pre‑pandemic comparisons to set a longer baseline, and Gilstrap said he could supply those figures on request. Member Munoz asked whether the mailings were individualized; Gilstrap confirmed the notifications are tied to each student’s record and are not mass mailings.
Why it matters: Chronic absenteeism is tied to learning loss; trustees and district staff framed the vendor data as evidence that combined automated outreach and in‑person interventions are moving students back into class. The board encouraged continued focus on families and early‑grade attendance strategies.
Next steps: The board asked the vendor to provide pre‑pandemic attendance comparisons and continued monitoring of conference effectiveness. No formal action was required on the report.
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