Bradley schools see attendance improvements

BRADLEY – Bradley Elementary schools have seen some attendance improvements this school year after ramping up efforts to combat chronic absenteeism.

Bradley Elementary School District 61 had a rate of 25% chronic absenteeism – when students miss 10% or more of school days in a year, regardless of having an excuse – on its 2024 Illinois School Report Card.

At a stakeholder meeting in January, administrators noted the district set a goal of reducing that rate by 5% within the year.

Superintendent Chris Hammond said the chronic absenteeism rate ebbs and flows throughout the school year, and while it is still relatively high, the district has seen declines in the monthly rate of student absences compared to the prior year.

“Across the board, we are better with our attendance this year,” he said during last week’s board meeting.

For example, in December 2023, the absentee rates were 15.8% at Bradley East, 10.3% at Bradley West, and 11.3% at Bradley Central. In December 2024, the rates were down to 9.2%, 6.3% and 8%, respectively.

Though the numbers are not ideal, there has been progress, he said. Monthly absence rates of 4% or 5% would be closer to the district’s target.

“You want to see it lower than that, obviously,” Hammond said. “You want to get every kid to come to school, and that’s just not the reality with illness and different things like that – but we’re getting there.”

He noted that a truancy officer that works with the district has commented on the progress Bradley schools seem to be making.

“She’s pulling a lot of kids off of her list, and the kids that are on her list are kids that would be on it no matter what school they attended,” Hammond said.

Bradley Central Principal Mark Kohl said the truancy officer has been facilitating family meetings on attendance since January.

“We’re sitting down at the table with the student, and we’re having a conversation about, ‘How can we help you?’ ” Kohl said.

Families are given goals for attendance when they leave the meeting.

“What I’ve realized is it’s not always a student’s fault,” Kohl said. “It’s a lot of times family issues, family dynamics.”

Curriculum Director Rebecca Selk noted chronic absenteeism is weighted as 20% of schools’ overall index scores on the Illinois School Report Card, while math and English language arts proficiencies each account for 7.5% of the scores.

“That’s why tracking that, it’s such a big deal,” Selk said. “If they don’t come to school, we can’t teach them, and then that affects our ELA and our math scores as well.”

Bradley East Principal Anna Kirchner said the school’s “targeted” designation in 2023 pushed the team to tackle its attendance problem head on.

“It felt like attendance was kind of an office problem, but it’s really not,” Kirchner said. “Attendance is about a classroom environment and being part of a classroom family, making kids feel part of something bigger.”

Teachers were put on the forefront of making sure the importance of attendance is stressed with students and parents, she said.

Their designation improved to “commendable” in 2024.

“These are things we’re still going to do, even though we’re not targeted, because they’re just good practice,” Kirchner said.

Hammond said all three school buildings have been increasing efforts to make phone calls home regarding attendance.

“[Attendance] feels like that is the easiest place to move the needle,” he said. “We figure, if the kids are sitting in the seats, they’re probably going to perform better in the class. If we can just get them here.”