FSA Leaders with Superintendent Monika Hazel Celebrating FSA’s ICAN Award for the month of October.
Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (FUESD) is celebrating a significant achievement in its ongoing efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism. With a district-wide decrease of over 9% in chronic absenteeism from the 2022-23 school year, FUESD’s rate has dropped to 18.17% for the 2023-24 academic year. This remarkable improvement is part of the district’s strategic focus on attendance through its district-wide initiative, “Every Day Matters.”
The “Every Day Matters” initiative launched this year to emphasize the critical importance of daily attendance and ensure that students remain engaged in their education. As part of this effort, FUESD schools held celebrations for students and classrooms that showed the most progress in improving attendance. The district also sent “We Miss You” postcards to students who had missed school, reminding families of the importance of attending school every day, while families who demonstrated progress received encouraging cards to keep the momentum going.
“Reducing absenteeism is vital to our mission of ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive,” said Superintendent Monika Hazel. “We know that when students are in school consistently, they are more likely to succeed academically and socially. Through our ‘Every Day Matters’ initiative, we’ve been able to partner with families to highlight the value of attendance and provide the support needed to help students succeed.”
The results of this initiative are evident across the district. William H. Frazier Elementary achieved the largest reduction in chronic absenteeism, with a decrease of 20.68%, while La Paloma Elementary saw a 14.23% improvement. Additionally, district-wide average daily attendance rose by 1.73%, bringing FUESD’s overall attendance rate to 93.64%.
To further reinforce the importance of daily attendance, the FUESD Governing Board has begun celebrating the top-performing school each month at board meetings, recognizing the campus with the highest growth in average attendance percentage.
Through “Every Day Matters,” FUESD has taken a proactive approach to addressing chronic absenteeism. The district has worked closely with families to break down barriers to regular attendance and provide the necessary resources and support to ensure that students can attend school consistently. Celebrations, recognition, and ongoing support have contributed to a positive school culture that emphasizes the importance of attendance as a key driver of student success.
FUESD remains committed to continuing the success of “Every Day Matters” and further reducing absenteeism to ensure that all students have the opportunity to thrive.