Wendy Johns, the district presenter, reviewed a district-level school-climate improvement plan required under recent state legislation and aimed at aligning school climate work to the forthcoming strategic plan. Johns said the district’s end-of-year chronic absenteeism rate was 25.35% and the district’s goal is to reduce that to 22% by June 2026.

The plan includes three district goals: reduce chronic absenteeism, ensure every school establishes and uses school governance councils and parent-teacher organizations (target 100% by June 2026), and require monthly data reviews by school climate committees. Johns described the plan as a working document that must remain flexible to state initiatives and data.

Board members emphasized home-visitation and shared responsibility in attendance efforts. Commissioner Van Stone called the absenteeism target “realistic” and urged the district to move goals to requirements next year if achieved. Vice President Brown urged that school-based teams restore the kind of teacher-led outreach that had reduced absenteeism in the past.

Johns said an assigned district school climate coordinator will monitor monthly meetings and reporting to ensure compliance with the new law; the presentation was informational and no board action was required.