Oregon Department of Education highlights gains in elementary school attendance during awareness month

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is marking September as Attendance Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of regular school attendance, particularly among the youngest students. The initiative aligns with a proclamation from Governor Tina Kotek that underscores the shared commitment across Oregon to support student attendance.

“As we begin the 2025-26 school year, we are placing renewed focus on helping every child build the habit of showing up every day,” said Dr. Charlene Williams, ODE Director. “This is especially important for our youngest learners, as early attendance lays the foundation for literacy, belonging and long-term academic success.”

A new focus this year comes after Senate Bill 141 (2025) expanded Oregon’s educational accountability system. The bill introduced several new performance metrics for school districts, including an Early Learner Attendance Metric to monitor and improve attendance among kindergarten through second grade students.

Research indicates that consistent attendance in early grades is linked to reading proficiency by third grade and better long-term academic outcomes. Strong attendance at the start of the year helps children feel connected and ready to learn.

Several districts across Oregon have reported improvements in elementary school attendance:

In Centennial School District’s Pleasant Valley Elementary, regular attender rates increased to 68.9% in 2023-24 from 57.5% in 2022-23. The district credits its partnership with The Shadow Project—which provides training to help students build core skills—and a broader approach focused on social emotional learning and engaging academics.

Coos Bay School District’s Eastside Elementary saw its regular attender rate rise to 70.3% in 2023-24 from 53.2% in 2022-23—a two-year improvement of nearly 37 percentage points since 2021-22. District staff attribute these gains to targeted family outreach and efforts around foundational reading skills.

Ontario School District’s Aiken Elementary achieved a regular attender rate of 90.7% in 2023-24, up from 86.5% the previous year. Strategies included enhancing safety measures, increasing mental health supports, boosting K-3 literacy efforts, and expanding family engagement through flexible meeting options and partnerships with local organizations such as Boys and Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley.

Yoncalla Elementary School improved its regular attender rate to 63.8% in 2023-24 from 58% in the prior year—an increase of over 23 percentage points since 2021-22—while also experiencing a significant rise in enrollment over five years. This progress is attributed to early family engagement initiatives and visible reminders promoting good attendance habits.

ODE encourages schools and communities statewide to use Attendance Awareness Month as an opportunity to strengthen relationships with families and support student well-being by fostering daily attendance habits.

To assist schools and families, ODE offers resources such as a monthly virtual learning series for educators and partners, a planning guide for leaders, customizable attendance trackers for families, and connections to external support services. More information can be found at every-day-matters.org.

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