Licking Heights, Southwest Licking focus on student relationships to boost attendance

As Licking County schools work to boost post-pandemic attendance, Licking Heights and Southwest Licking schools are ahead of the class.

Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% of the school year, was 30% statewide and averaged out at 24.9% among Licking County's 10 districts during the 2021-22 school year. But Licking Heights Local Schools and Southwest Licking Local Schools each fared better, with their districts at 20% and 19.4% respectively. While ahead of their Licking County counter parts, both districts want their numbers to continue to drop.

COVID-19 quarantines were one of the main reasons so many districts saw higher absenteeism numbers. But Southwest Licking Superintendent Kasey Perkins traces the origins of the trend to earlier in the pandemic.

"I think the quarantines are one part but I also think that some of that time spent at home, whether through remote learning during the shutdown, allowed people to become more comfortable with staying at home. And to me, that's where the problem started," she said.

Part of Licking Height's success is the emphasis the district places on tracking student attendance.

Jeff Boyer, a retired teacher, is in his eighth year as the district's truancy, residency and athletic consultant. After his first year in the role, Boyer said the district made attendance it's own department.

"Just like you have a math department, you have a science department. We have an attendance department," he said.

Excused absences are handled by a point person in each of the district's buildings, whether its secretaries, a dean of students or assistant principal. Boyer focuses on the students who have unexcused absences.

He tracks the unexcused absences and sends letters to families when students miss 30 hours consecutively, 42 hours in a month or 72 hours in a year. Those families are then invited to a meeting that the district holds monthly where Boyer and a county official explain why they are there and what the district needs from their student going forward.

For Southwest Licking, Perkins said it became apparent during the pandemic that the district needed its own person to ensure its absenteeism rates dropped. After more than 40 years as a teacher in the district, Jeff Severino transitioned to the role of truancy consultant for Southwest Licking at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. He's the first person to have such a role with the district.

"We're one of the largest schools in the county, and it became very apparent, that unfortunately, even though we had services provided, it just wasn't enough for a school district of our size," Perkins said. "So it was time for us to explore opportunities, similar to Licking Heights and Newark who obviously are … close to our size."

Severino, who had also been the Watkins Memorial High School football coach, was the right person because he is a long-standing community member and so ingrained in the within the district, she said.

"When you're looking for a good fit to work with your parents and your students, Jeff has a very calm demeanor, a kind personality and he is very effective at his job," Perkins said. "I was confident that he would take this job and, and run with it. If you were to ask any of our building administrators, they would tell you this has been one of the best things we've done in this district."

Boyer and Severino have similar day to day activities, partly because Severino met with Boyer to learn his approach to the position when Severino started at the beginning of the school year. Each view attendance reports, visit their district's different buildings and check in with students' families or caregivers. Severino has even driven a kid to and from school after they were suspended from the bus to ensure the child was still in class.

Perkins said that’s the extra mile a district can go when they have their own dedicated person.

"When you're having a shared service, opportunities like that are not going to present themselves because the person is stretched too thin," she said. "Jeff being able to do things like that, that are unique for Southwest Licking students that we couldn’t have before."

Severino said he felt anxiety was one of the main reason students aren't in school, whether it be because of social anxiety, concern about their performance in class or another reason.

When needed, both districts bring in a social worker or counselor to help a student who is struggling emotionally.

Perkins, Severino and Boyer all said the main goal is to get students in a situation where they can succeed and eventually graduate.

"I think that's the key. Kids start to believe in themselves," Severino said. "It's a vicious circle. You know, one day they'll have a good day and then they have three bad days and they have a good day then they had three bad days. You're trying to break that cycle."

In some cases, that might mean having a student switch to the district's SWL Digital Academy if they are more comfortable, Severino said.

Perkins said with Severino as the truancy consultant full-time, the building principals are reaching out when concerns pop up and he can connect with families right away.

"Although something may not work the first time, he's coming back," Perkins said. "He’s going to call you, he’s going to be at your house. I think families will start — and have started — to realize that, which only helps us figure out the best place for them to receive their education."

Part of what makes Boyer and Severino good fits for the position is their history in coaching high school sports, Severino with football and Boyer with football, baseball and softball.

In fact it's the advice Boyer gave Severino over the summer — it's just like coaching.

"You're not coaching football. You're coaching attendance. You’re coaching truancy," Boyer said.

It's all about the little touches to let students know they care. They each put a focus on forming relationships with students. When walking a building's halls, Severino will tell students he's thinking of them and he's happy they are at school that day.

Severino said he tells students that the district can't help them if they are at home, but they can get them support through a social worker for anxiety or other problems if they at least come into the school.

Boyer makes sure to teach students life lessons as part of his meetings, with his favorite being "there's a lot to be said for showing up."

"Because if you're a person that shows up, then that means people can count on you. You can be dependable," he said.

For Southwest Licking, hiring Severino in this position is a first step and they'll get a sense of the success rate next fall on the next state school report card.

“It may never be a perfect system but I can tell you what we're doing now with Jeff is significantly leaps and bounds better than what we were doing before," Perkins said. "I will be excited to see what our data shows at the end of this year because I have to believe we're getting more kids to school."

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Heights, SWL schools focus on relationships to boost attendance