Sacramento City Unified eyes creative attendance incentives to raise state cash
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Sacramento City Unified School District is launching an attendance campaign called One More Day, in which schools compete for prizes by raising the share of students in class. The district's goal is $2.5 million in added state funding, according to Brian Heap, a district communications official. The article says that is about what one extra day of full attendance would bring in, and it is only a small dent in a much larger deficit.
Schools will be sorted into three groups by enrollment. Each month, every group holds two contests: one for the highest attendance and one for the most improved rate. Prizes include a food truck visit or a surprise celebration. Monthly winners enter a year-end drawing for two $250,000 facility projects, paid from money restricted to campus infrastructure. The district plans to start within weeks and also aims to improve independent study programs.
A student board member said the message could feel dehumanizing if it sounds like schools want attendance for money. A district staffer said home visits work well for chronically absent students, but a lost grant and central office layoffs leave too few staff to do them regularly. The district still faces an expected $150 million shortfall before next spring and has put about $50 million in cuts and changes in place. If it ran out of cash, a state loan would bring a county-appointed administrator; board members say they expect to avoid that.
Why it matters
Attendance affects both student learning and the state money a district receives. Families may notice new school competitions and reduced services, such as fewer home visits, while taxpayers and board members watch how the district closes a large deficit and avoids outside control.
- Budget deficit
- Chronic absenteeism
- Budget cuts
- State fiscal oversight
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- How should a district balance the financial value of attendance with the message it sends students about why school matters?
- Which supports for chronically absent students should be prioritized when staffing and grant funding are limited?
- What information would help the community judge whether attendance contests actually raise attendance and funding?
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