With a new district attendance initiative, Austin ISD aims to improve student attendance, which could lead to additional funding for schools. Improved attendance is crucial not only for better academic outcomes but also because it directly impacts state funding for the district. An increase in attendance by just 1% could result in $4.5 million more in revenue.
In the 2022-23 school year, the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) percentage reported to the Texas Education Agency was 90.96%. The district's goal is to raise this percentage to 92.3%, which translates to having 737 more students on campus each day.
The initiative seeks to enhance campus attendance through financial incentives that schools can use according to their needs. Schools will receive funds if they meet specific attendance goals at the end of the first semester and at the end of the year. Money will be distributed based on overall increases in the district's ADA, with each school receiving support tailored to its individual requirements.
Parents can support these attendance goals by encouraging their children to attend school daily. If a child feels sick but does not have a temperature over 100.4 degrees, they are generally fine to attend school. However, if a child's temperature exceeds this threshold, parents are advised not to send them to school and instead fill out any necessary forms. Additionally, if a child is running late or has a doctor's appointment, they can still be marked present if they attend school. For other reasons affecting attendance, parents should reach out to campus administrators for assistance.