Sunnyside Unified School District had a chronic absenteeism rate of 40% in the 2024-2025 school year — almost double the statewide average of 24%.
The district has seen improvements since the COVID-19 pandemic, and superintendent Jose Gastélum said the district will continue pushing a five-year attendance plan that aims to get absenteeism rates back to the pre-COVID level by 2030, a little less than 40%.
"This is a piece where we want to make sure that from early on that our students create good habits of being in school," he said. The district will also continue awarding schools with the best monthly attendance rates with shoutouts, which started last year, along with hosting quarterly parent engagement forums and continue home visits.
According to information obtained through a public records request, the district will also identify a “key contact within the SUSD IT Department who will serve as a liaison between site leadership and the Abre Attendance Data platform. This is a crucial step forward as obtaining and deciphering data is an obstacle that can prevent leaders from utilizing data effectively.”
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Read more on chronic absenteeism rates across Pima County school districts here.
