Great News — attendance is up across the district! Not only does this mean students learning more, but also increased money for Berkeley Unified from the state.
The recent report of increased Average Daily Attendance (ADA) rates across the District is akin to a meaningful pat on the back to administrators, teachers, staff and families who have successfully coaxed elementary, middle, and high school students to attend school more days this year.
District-wide K-12 attendance in Berkeley Unified grew from 93.8 % to 95.3% – an increase of 1.5%. This is equivalent to approximately 148 more students in class each day than what was anticipated based on prior attendance rates.
State funding for public schools is based on ADA rates. According to the way the formulas work, this year’s improved attendance in grades K-12 offsets some of the projected loss in revenue and contributed to a reduction in budget cuts considered for the district’s projected budget for 2012-13.
In honor of this progress and the benefits it brings, let’s keep up the effort to finish out the school year with equally good attendance.
Read our Attendance FAQ page if you want more information about attendance.