MINNESOTA, USA — A dozen school districts in Minnesota will participate in a new pilot program this year to develop strategies against absenteeism, thanks to more than $4 million in funding authorized by the state legislature.
The pilot, which runs for three school years, is launching across the state in Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Red Lake, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Mankato, Moorhead, Cook County, Windom, Burnsville, Rochester, Northfield and Chisholm.
The state gave the districts wide latitude to implement their plans at the local level, as they see fit. Despite progress in attendance rates last year, about a quarter of Minnesota students are still considered "chronically absent."
In the Minneapolis Public Schools, which received the largest chunk of funding at more than $1 million, the district is adding student-led attendance teams along with a mentorship program to connect staff with students who are missing a lot of class.
"We realize we can't use antiquated responses anymore like robocalls, alarm clocks, letters home, truancy petitions. Those are not engaging strategies," MPS Director of Retention and Recovery Colleen Kaibel said. "From elementary, middle and high school, we want student voices in helping us respond to chronic absenteeism. But also to build a climate that is warm, welcoming and makes every child feel they want to be in school every day."
Kaibel also said the district is looking closely at geographic data, to determine whether certain pockets of the city are struggling more than others with school absences.
"There are issues such as the belief that 'I don't need to be in school every day.' Sometimes, transportation is an issue. A lot of anxiety and depression," Kaibel said. "We are going to embrace them and help them succeed."
MPS is using its state funding to build programs that can last beyond the life of the three-year pilot program.
Kirk Schneidawind, the executive director of the Minnesota School Boards Association, said he hopes the pilot program will lead to more permanent fixes across the state.
"What [the state has] done is give money to try to develop some innovative programs, to find ways to improve attendance within these 12 school districts," Kirk Schneidawind said. "They're looking at large districts, but also looking at small, Greater Minnesota districts as well. They're going to get a really good sample size of what is working and what is not."
Schneidawind said he's encouraged by the latest attendance numbers from 2023-24.
"There was an improvement in the attendance rate from 70 to 75 percent, so, an increase of five percent," he said. "But that chronic absenteeism number is still, in my view -- and most legislators' view -- would still be too high."