Case Study: Jefferson County Public Schools reduces chronic absenteeism with PowerSchool Attendance Intervention

How Jefferson County Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 4%

Jefferson County Public Schools, one of Kentucky’s largest and most diverse districts, was struggling with chronic absenteeism, especially among multilingual families and students facing barriers like transportation, housing insecurity, and mental health challenges. With fragmented communication tools and no centralized way to track interventions, JCPS needed a better way to monitor attendance patterns and reach families consistently. PowerSchool Attendance Intervention helped the district move from reactive follow-up to a more proactive, data-driven approach.

Using PowerSchool, JCPS deployed dashboards for real-time attendance visibility, tier-based interventions, multilingual two-way messaging, and digital postcards to strengthen family engagement. The district saw chronic absenteeism drop by about 4% in one year, with average daily attendance reaching 91% and some schools posting double-digit gains. PowerSchool also helped improve trust with families by making communication more personal and consistent.

Jefferson County Public Schools

Matt Anderson

Assistant Superintendent for Climate and Culture