SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Salt Lake City School District wants to overhaul how it handles student absences, aiming to cut chronic absenteeism by more than half over the next four years.
The district is now seeking proposals for a new attendance platform that goes beyond simply logging who’s in class. Officials say any system they adopt must reduce absenteeism in a measurable way and help them reach families before students fall too far behind.
“Ever since COVID has been around, we’ve seen chronic absenteeism become a big issue,” said Jason Olsen, spokesperson for the district, which serves about 20,000 students. More than half of those students come from economically disadvantaged households, and over 80 languages are spoken in homes across the city.
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To address that, Olsen said they’re looking for a system that allows more two-way communication, particularly through texting…