A data presentation that was originally scheduled for Wednesday (April 10th) evening’s Danville District 118 School Board meeting has been postponed because, as Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis explained, the work is still in progress.
Dr. Geddis stated that a major priority right now is to change the high school graduation rate on the district’s 2023 state report card from 62% to 75%. She says updated data the district has been working on proves that the 75% number is correct, and that other school districts in Illinois are having similar problems.
AUDIO: I actually have the initial report where our numbers were at 75%, and our growth was tremendous. Somehow, in that final report, something went awry. And there are other districts, particular above I-80, that are having the same fight. And they did find that there is a discrepancy with the data the came over to the state board of education.
And speaking of numbers, Assistant Superintendent John Hart spoke during the Wednesday meeting about improved chronic absenteeism and truancy numbers within the district this year. He says there is certainly more work to be done; but that by reaching out more to families and parents, and having special promotions within schools such as alarm clock giveaways, a change in the positive direction has been made. He cited North Ridge as an example.
AUDIO: Last year they had 42% of their students who were chronically truant for the month of March. And then this year, they dropped by 22%, and they had 20% of their students who were chronically truant. Which is still a very big number, but again, we’re slowing chipping away, trying to communicate as much as we can.
For the record, chronic absenteeism is missing 5% of school days; while chronic truancy is a pace of missing 18 days or more for the whole year, which is 10% of the school days.
