During the 1997-1998 school year, the Chelsea Public Schools began a comprehensive set of initiatives to improve daily attendance rates. These initiatives were supported by the development of credible accounting and statistical databanks.
Since the beginning of the initiative to improve daily attendance, the district-wide goal has been to attain a daily average attendance rate of 95%, a goal that would be exemplary for urban school districts and a goal that is currently well within the reach of the Chelsea Public Schools.
Through A Different September Foundation, the district has continued funding for its attendance incentive in the early grades. In 2002-2003, this initiative ensured that every child in grades one through four who had perfect attendance in any academic quarter received a book with a bookplate bearing his or her name.
To continue to improve daily student attendance, principals and assistant principals work closely with their respective school advisory councils and parent leaders to maintain close connections between the school and the students’ homes. Furthermore, the administration has encouraged the direct involvement of the district’s attendance officers so that children who establish a pattern of truancy receive quick and appropriate remedial attention.
Average Daily Student Attendance |
|||||||
location |
1996-97 |
1997-98 |
1998-99 |
1999-2000 |
2000-01 |
2001-02 |
2002-03 |
| Early Learning Center |
84.6% | 90.4% | 91% | 93.6% | 93.3% | 94.3% | 94.1% |
| Burke Elementary School Complex |
92.6% | 94.6% | 94.8% | 95.3% | 95.6% | 95.9% | 96.2% |
| Clark Avenue School |
94.6% | 94.7% | 94.8% | 95.4% | 95.4% | ||
| Williams Middle School |
89.4% | 91.8% | 91.9 % | 93.3% |
92.8% | 94.7% | 94.9% |
| Chelsea High School |
79.9% | 86.6% | 88.3% | 89.7% | 90.2% | 90.7% | 90.6% |
| Tudor Hill Alternative School |
76.3% | 83.5% | 86.6% | ||||
Overall School District |
88.6% |
91.7% |
91.9% |
93.3% |
93.5% |
94.3% |
94.3% |