1. What's the problem with attendance in PPS?

Chronic absenteeism is one of Portland Public Schools' most serious problems. Thousands of students are missing weeks or months of school — and if students aren't in class, nothing else matters. Currently, over 30% of students in some PPS schools are chronically absent, and many classrooms are half-empty some days. When kids aren't there, they can't learn, hurting everyone.

Although PPS has some good strategies, like Attendance Coaches and home visits, we're still losing ground. The district needs a radical shift that addresses the reasons students stay away: boredom, frustration, lack of trust, and real barriers like transportation.

2. What are the real reasons students don't come to school?

Students don't stay home for one simple reason. The real causes include:

• Barriers — They physically can't get there (transportation, unstable housing).

• Negative Experiences — School feels unsafe, hostile, or disconnected from their lives.

• Lack of Engagement — School doesn't seem interesting or relevant — "Why bother?"

• Misconceptions — Families don't realize how damaging absences are to future success.

3. What will PPS actually do to fix this?

1. ✅ Student Engagement Hubs

   1. Modern, Safe After-School Spaces: PPS will convert underused school spaces into "Student Engagement Hubs" featuring e-sports arenas, maker labs, and social spaces. These will be open after school with real staff (Hub Managers + Tech Assistants) to help kids stay connected and motivated.

   2. Pilot two hubs immediately in underused schools (Jefferson, Tubman, or others).

   3. $400K startup using existing unused facility funds and public-private partnerships.

   4. Staffed spaces with attendance coaches embedded to reach struggling kids where they are — safe, fun, and supportive

2. ✅ Launch an Attendance Incentive Program

   1. Expand PPS's current Attendance Coach program with 10 more full-time coaches, offering one-on-one outreach and tangible rewards for better attendance (gift cards, event passes, gaming credits).

   2. Funded through reallocating existing attendance and administrative budgets — no new taxes.

   3. $500K/year for coaches + $50K in incentives directly for students.

3. ✅ Real-Time Family Communication & Bilingual Support

   1. PPS will build a bilingual, real-time digital dashboard that alerts families when absences happen—via texts, calls, and emails, not buried paperwork. The dashboard will be paired with Family Liaisons at schools who help navigate attendance issues.

   2. $100K tech setup + $90K/year for bilingual liaisons (Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, etc.).

   3. Host family workshops on attendance and school support.

4. ✅ Extended Hub Hours & Transportation Help

   1. Keep hubs open longer and provide transportation vouchers for kids who otherwise can't get there.

   2. $360K/year for rideshare or bus passes for 500 students.

   3. Staff additional evening supervisors for hubs.

4. How does this build on what PPS already does?

PPS already has Student Attendance Coaches and does home visits and outreach, but these aren't scaled to meet today's crisis. This plan grows those programs, adds new tools (hubs, incentives, family tech), and addresses the barriers stopping kids from showing up.

5. How will PPS pay for this?

We can't right now, but that does not prohibit us from planning for when we can afford it under the radical, aggressive funding and savvy spending proposals.

6. What are the immediate PPS actions?

• Launch the first two Engagement Hubs within one year.

• Hire and deploy new Attendance Coaches.

• Build and launch a real-time attendance dashboard + hire Family Liaisons.

• Start transportation voucher program in high-absence schools.

7. What's the timeline?

📅 By 2025-26 School Year:

• 2 hubs operating.

• The first round of incentives and attendance data tracking.

• Family outreach in every school.

📅 By 2026-27:

• 4+ hubs open.

• Entire system-wide attendance dashboard.

• Attendance Coaches and liaisons are fully embedded in all high-need schools.