Frankfort 157-C Implements New Plan to Combat Chronic Student Absenteeism

Frankfort School District 157-C Meeting | October 2025

Article Summary: Frankfort School District 157-C is rolling out a new, detailed attendance support plan aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism, an issue that affected 249 students last year. The plan establishes a clear timeline of interventions for students as they accumulate absences, emphasizing early communication and support for families.

Student Attendance Support Plan Key Points:

• Under state rules, students who miss 10% or more of the school year (18 days), for any reason, are considered “chronically absent.”

• The new district plan initiates interventions starting at five days of absence, including phone calls and goal-setting meetings.

• Interventions escalate as absences increase, with formal letters, multi-tiered support systems (MTSS), and family meetings.

• The district’s chronic absenteeism rate was 9.8% in 2024, an improvement from 13.6% in 2023 but still above pre-pandemic levels.

Frankfort School District 157-C officials on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, detailed a comprehensive new plan to support student attendance and address chronic absenteeism across its three schools.

During the board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Doug Wernet and Director of Special Services Jennifer Bajda presented the 2025-2026 Attendance Support Plan, which they said is driven by an increased emphasis on attendance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Ms. Bajda explained that under ISBE rules, a student is defined as “chronically absent” after missing 10% of school days, which amounts to 18 days in a typical school year, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Dr. Wernet reported that 249 students in the district met this threshold last year.

The new plan outlines a multi-step timeline of interventions. Support begins when a student reaches five days of absence, at which point an administrator will make a parent phone call to discuss attendance patterns and set short-term goals.

“This is a guideline they are using that at day 5 or 7 some level of contact or support is communicated to the parent,” Bajda said in response to a question from board member Dr. Larry Kociolek about the timing of parent contact.

The interventions escalate with more absences. At seven days, a formal attendance letter is sent home. At nine and 12 days, further meetings and considerations for multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) are triggered. By day 15, a family meeting is held to discuss barriers to attendance and offer resources. If a student’s absences continue, the district will complete truancy paperwork for the Regional Office of Education.

The plan also emphasizes providing support before discipline and collaborating with school social workers to address root causes of absenteeism, such as health issues or family needs.