1. Burbio’s Signals Tracker analyzes millions of pages of district school board discussions. Chronic absenteeism is a challenge for many districts, and this week we examine board discussions to evaluate how districts set improvement benchmarks. Every district starts with a different baseline, so there is no single universal target they share. Frameworks include:
- Incremental Percentage Point Reductions: Many districts set incremental goals to reduce a specific number of percentage points off their current chronic absenteeism rate over a set period (usually annually or multi-year).
- Absolute Target Rates: Depending on the severity of the problem, districts will set an absolute percentage that they want their overall chronic absenteeism rate to drop below.
- Benchmarking Against State Averages: A common approach is to use state data as a measuring stick. Districts will set a goal to meet or exceed their specific state's average attendance rate or to stay at or below the state average for chronic absenteeism.
- Targeting Specific Subgroups: Some districts set benchmarks for specific grades, such as reducing absenteeism in transitional years like K-3 and 9th grade, or have benchmarks to increase the attendance of students experiencing homelessness.
- Student-Level "Days Missed" Thresholds: Some districts translate benchmarks into goals for the school culture. One theme is for students to miss 10 or fewer days of school during the year.
2. Burbio has added continuously refreshed district-level contact data (name, title, email address, phone, etc.) to our Intel Hub for use in client email campaigns and district outreach. Below, we profile the variety of ways districts designate officials in transportation positions. The chart displays the percent of districts that have individuals with the indicated title:
3. Burbio maintains district checkbook registers covering over 20 million PreK-12 students. Below we update our analysis of market penetration for California and Texas. The charts below show the percentage of districts that have written a check to the indicated supplier at least once in the last twelve months. The first chart is suppliers that have a higher market penetration in Texas:
On the chart below are examples of suppliers with a higher market penetration in California:
4. As part of Burbio's service, we deliver territory-aligned Signals Tracker updates to give account executives constant, actionable insights. To provide a snapshot of how it works, here are some current examples of 2026-27 CTE initiatives being discussed across New England that would be relevant to an account executive covering that region:
- In Somers Public Schools, CT, during a recent board meeting discussing the 2026-27 budget, the district discussed several STEM programs, including the establishment of district-wide K-12 Artificial Intelligence Committees, Math, ELA, and STEM nights and the hope to add a high school teacher to reinstate the culinary program.
- In Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, MA’s budget discussion, the district is proposing repurposing a science and math position into a Robotics/Engineering role. The district is also establishing a second Curriculum Coordinator position focused on K-8 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering).
- In Saco Schools, ME, the district conducted a presentation on a new STEM + Manufacturing program that will be launching next Fall and is designed to introduce students to manufacturing careers in middle school before high school course selection.
- In Essex Westford School District, VT, the district's 2026-27 plans include growing programs in Health Professions and HVAC, adding a Building Residential Emergency Services program, and planning for Natural Resources and Building Trades program spaces.
5. We finish with another look at chronic absenteeism. From our Signals, these are the strategies districts use to address this issue:
- Family Communication and Engagement: Tactics include sending out attendance alerts, daily phone calls to families, home visits, and hosting family events at schools.
- Data Monitoring: Analytics software and internal dashboards visualize attendance trends and demographics, allowing schools to monitor students falling below thresholds, triggering early alerts and proactive interventions.
- Tiered Interventions: Integrate attendance tracking into MTSS and PBIS frameworks, allowing for personalized attendance success plans.
- Incentives and Positive Recognition such as rewards programs highlighting individual attendance, grade-level attendance competitions and themed spirit days.
- Dedicated Attendance Teams and Task Forces: Districts will hire attendance officers and clerks, truancy officers, and student engagement specialists and/or form dedicated Attendance Task Forces or Student Attendance Review Teams.
- Structural and Logistical Adjustments such as improving transportation options, offering after-school attendance recovery programs, and piloting later school start times.