Edison Elementary School District Takes a Personalized Approach to Student Attendance

Getting kids to school every morning can be a challenge, especially for families facing food, transportation, and housing insecurity. After realizing its initial School Attendance Review Board (SARB), a convening of parents and public service agencies to address chronic absence, had low family engagement, Edison Elementary School District launched the Edison Student Attendance Program to reframe attendance as a shared responsibility across every school department.

Four years later, the district has earned a 2026 Golden Bell Award, a prestigious honor from the California School Boards Association (CSBA), for dramatically improving student attendance over the past four years. The Golden Bell Award recognizes outstanding educational programs and school board governance practices across California.

In a school district where 90% of families come from low-income households, average daily attendance rose from below 90% to 96.42%, while chronic absenteeism dropped from roughly 40% to 8.89%.

The district then established a School Attendance Review Team (SART), a school-site-based group of staff who work together to address chronic absence. Staff conduct several types of “check-ins” with students to acknowledge the students’ attendance in an attempt to prevent chronic absence.

To remove everyday barriers, counselors offer rides to Edison Middle School students who lack transportation, bus drivers pick up students walking late, aides greet students each morning, and breakfast is available for students who arrive late. The nutrition team serves student-favorite meals on days when kids are historically most likely to stay home. The district also hosts an Annual Attendance Summit with community partners, and staff have coordinated food assistance to build trust with families.

Isabell Salinas, a Behavioral Health Aide at Orangewood Elementary School, noted, “[Students] seeing somebody acknowledge that they’re here, and knowing that somebody’s watching out for them, it’s just always helpful.”

The district makes showing up to school something students look forward to. Orangewood offers monthly and weekly incentives designed with student feedback, from bounce houses and ice cream trucks to “Dunk the Staff,” where students throw a ball at a target in hopes of dumping a bucket of water on a staff member. Each month, students with good attendance receive “brag tags,” necklaces similar to “dog tag” necklaces. The principal places them on students like medals of honor as their peers watch in awe.

These rewards have helped students take ownership of their attendance. Activities for students with good attendance are so popular that office staff receive calls from parents asking why their child was not eligible, opening the door to further attendance conversations. Meanwhile, staff engagement stays high through regular progress updates that show employees their efforts are working.

“Any increase in attendance, even if it’s half a percent, makes a big difference,” said Stephanie Rios, Vice Principal at Orangewood. “We’re not going to see someone who’s 88% attendance all of a sudden not be chronic, but if we can get that 88 to 90, that’s more days that that student was here and learning.”

Students wear their “brag tags,” each tag representing one month of perfect attendance.

Students talk to a playground monitor before going into lunch.

For staff and administrators, the Golden Bell Award reflects the power of teamwork.

“Every day a student is in class is another opportunity to learn, grow, and build a brighter future,” said Superintendent Dr. Jairo Arellano. “The Edison Student Attendance Program has helped create a culture where students know they matter, families know they are supported, and every employee understands that helping students get to school is everyone’s responsibility.”

Claudia Aguirre, an aide who has worked at Orangewood for the last 16 years, greets students outside the school every morning and learns every student’s name.

“We’re proud because we’re such a small district, so it’s a big accomplishment to see that our efforts show—that they matter,” she said.