Why every day counts for school attendance

Editor’s note: After Community Forward Redlands reported on Redlands Unified’s proposed layoffs, readers asked why the cuts are happening and whether families can do anything to help. This week, we sat down with district leaders to better understand how attendance affects funding and what solutions may be available.

At a glance

• Redlands Unified faces a $20 million budget gap and has authorized up to 138 position reductions.
• Districtwide attendance averages about 93%, meaning students miss roughly 13 of 180 school days each year.
• Increasing attendance from 93% to 98% could generate an estimated $13.5 million in additional revenue.
• Attendance improvements before the April reporting deadline can affect funding within the same fiscal year.
• Short-term independent study contracts allow schools to recover funding for certain missed days.

Last month, the Redlands Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to authorize the elimination of up to 138 positions as the district works to close an estimated $20 million budget gap.

District officials have pointed to a combination of factors behind the budget shortfall, including declining enrollment, the end of one-time COVID-era funding, and the expansion of legally required compliance work.

But Superintendent Juan Cabral and Deputy Superintendent Jason Hill said one of the most immediate variables affecting the district’s budget is simple: whether students show up to school.

“We’re funded by students who come to school,” Hill said.

District leaders estimate that even modest improvements in attendance could generate millions in additional revenue and reduce the number of layoffs ultimately needed.

Hill said Redlands Unified’s districtwide average daily attendance is currently hovering around 93%, which means on average students miss 13 of the 180 days of school. 

District data show about 20% of students are chronically absent, meaning they miss at least 10% of the school year — roughly 18 days.

Attendance dropped during the pandemic and has remained relatively flat. Before COVID-19 attendance was closer to 96%.

The financial impact of even small attendance shifts is significant. Hill estimated that increasing attendance 5% could generate roughly $13.5 million in additional revenue.

That level of improvement would represent a significant share of the $15 million in proposed staffing reductions.

How attendance impacts funding

Redlands Unified, like most California school districts, receives most of its state funding based on how many students are enrolled and how often they attend school.

Hill said the district currently averages about $14,187 per student under the state’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) but that figure assumes a student is enrolled with perfect attendance. 

Funding is tied to average daily attendance, meaning absences reduce the amount the district receives.

This chart shows how reducing the average number of student absences could significantly increase district revenue under California’s attendance-based funding model. (Graph by Community Forward Redlands; Data Source: Redlands Unified School District)

The immediate impact of improved attendance

Because the district receives funding through monthly apportionments, changes in attendance can impact revenue within the same year.

Hill explained state reporting periods, including fall and spring attendance reporting windows, determine state funding allocations throughout the year. 

Hill said improving attendance now, before the end of the current reporting period in April, could make an impact. 

“Increasing attendance now would increase our revenue at the end of this year as well as next year,” he said.

A trip to the doctor or Disneyland means the same for funding

Even if the absence is “excused”— such as illness, family emergencies or medical appointments — funding is still impacted. 

In reality, the state’s attendance-based funding system does not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.

“Absent is absent,” Hill said.

Excused absences matter for academic purposes because it allows students to make up missed work. But for funding, a student who misses school due to illness counts the same as a student who skips class.

That means a doctor’s appointment, a family trip or a day at Disneyland all affect the district’s average daily attendance and its revenue.

How attendance attitudes have changed

District officials said attendance patterns changed dramatically during the pandemic, and the district has not returned to pre-pandemic norms.

Cabral said parents are now more cautious about sending children to school with minor symptoms — a shift that is understandable, but financially costly.

Hill also said the pandemic shifted attitudes around school attendance.

“I think COVID allowed parents to realize that their kids could not be at school and still pass and get good grades,” he said. “And they're not wrong, you know, students that do their work can miss days here or there for whatever reason. You know, going to Disneyland is a common reason kids miss school.”

That mindset, combined with travel absences and other missed days, has contributed to what Hill described as a broader culture of “permission” around skipping school.

How declining enrollment contributed to the structural deficit

In addition to attendance, enrollment has been on the decline across the state, including Redlands Unified.

“As our enrollment drops, for every fewer student, that $14,187 is gone,” Hill said.

Hill also pointed to the end of the state’s temporary pandemic-era attendance protections, which froze certain funding calculations and delayed the financial impact of enrollment loss.

During that period, Hill said Redlands Unified continued losing roughly 100 students per year, but the funding drop did not fully hit right away. When the freeze ended, district revenue adjusted more sharply.

“We used to call that an enrollment cliff,” Hill said. “When the state froze it, that benefited districts. But it also hurt districts because at some point when that freeze is released, we're going to realize a greater drop.”

Since then, the district reports enrollment has continued to fall, while attendance has remained flat.

Current enrollment is around 19,180.

What can be done

Independent Study contracts can recoup ADA

District officials said one of the most practical ways families can help reduce funding losses is by using short-term independent study contracts.

If a family knows a student will be absent, they can request an independent study contract to complete work and recover attendance credit.

“What I would like a parent to say is… ‘Johnny’s going to be absent next Thursday, Friday... Can we create a short-term independent study contract for those two days?’” Hill said.

Even if the absence has already happened, families can retroactively request to make up the absence from that school year but the sooner the better.

Hill explained many families are already requesting make-up work but without the official short-term study contract the District can't recoup ADA.

Cabral said students can recoup between 1-15 days through the short-term independent study program.

“Parents have asked us, ‘how can we help?’ That really is a big help," Cabral said.

More than 15 days and students would need to enroll in the long-term independent study program called RISE. 

Parents should speak to their student’s teacher or school site administrators for more information.

Incentives may also help rebuild habits

Incentives are another way to encourage students to show up each day.

“I've spoken to PTA about this – we're open to any ideas to help kids come to school every day,” Cabral said. “It starts with awareness. When folks realize how impactful it is for students, I think that helps.” 

Cabral said some school sites are already experimenting with attendance incentive programs, and district leaders believe those efforts can help rebuild attendance habits — particularly at elementary schools.

Whether it’s a pizza party, classroom reward, or school-wide challenge, Cabral said incentives can motivate families to prioritize attendance.

Attendance issues are seen across all grade levels but at elementary school the parents play a bigger role in getting students to school. 

At the high school level, he said attendance may be easier to influence because students are more directly impacted by credit requirements and graduation progress.

Attendance won’t solve everything but it can help

Hill said the district’s projected structural deficit remains large, and the position reductions approved in January represent about $15 million in potential budget savings.

Even if attendance improves, district leaders said additional long-term decisions will still be needed. But they emphasized that attendance is one of the few areas where community behavior can directly affect district revenue in measurable ways.

Cabral said the district believes a smaller increase is more realistic but still meaningful.

“We think 2% is doable. We have experienced that in our district before.” Cabral said.

What's next

District officials said staffing decisions tied to the authorized reductions are still being refined. Final updates are expected to be reviewed by the Board of Trustees on March 10.

In the meantime, Cabral said families who want to help preserve school-site programs should focus on attendance and when absences are unavoidable, work with school staff to recover days through independent study contracts.

“The only way to recover ADA is to make up the day,” Cabral said.