Superintendent’s March 6, 2024 Update

Dear APS Families, Throughout this year, I have been emphasizing the importance of regular school attendance and its impact on student outcomes and achievement. I remain concerned that chronic absenteeism has more than doubled in the past several years since 2018-19. This increase mirrors state and national trends.

As we approach the final months of the school year—a time when we tend to see an uptick in absences—I want to share our own attendance data, which reinforces the negative impact of being absent 10% or more (about 18 days) of the school year. APS student performance data from the 2022-23 school year reveals that APS students who were chronically absent had, on average:

• 20% lower pass rate on the Reading SOL
• 26% lower pass rate on the Math SOL
• 94% did not complete Algebra 1 by 8th grade
• 1.19 pts lower GPA in high school
• 15 times less likely to graduate on time

Our schools will continue to monitor and keep families informed of attendance issues, offering additional support to students who need it. View additional information and attendance resources. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure students attend school regularly, arrive on time, and finish the school year strong.

Other Updates  

• FY 2025 Budget: Last Thursday, I presented the proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year, focused on increasing staff compensation and maintaining essential services for students. View the press release and budget webpage for more details.
  • We face significant challenges as we strive to close a $29.5 million gap. I urge families to advocate for the County and State to increase funding for our schools as they finalize their budgets—urge the Governor to sign a budget that funds APS, oppose the current proposal which drastically cuts our funding, and ask the County Board to pass a 2.5-cent tax rate increase.

• Ramadan (Begins March 10): The observance of Ramadan begins on Sunday evening, and our schools will support students who may need special considerations or accommodations during this month-long practice of prayer and fasting. We have shared guidance with schools to assist them in supporting our students. Please reach out to your principal if you have questions or need support.

Thank you for your partnership.

Sincerely,

Dr. Francisco Durán
Superintendent