LAKEVILLE — The number of Freetown Lakeville students who regularly miss school has significantly dropped since 2022, according to Superintendent Alan Strauss. 

This was one of the accomplishments of the district he highlighted during a Wednesday, July 31 school committee meeting that served as the kickoff for his two-year evaluation process. 

Increasing student attendance has been a big priority because “if kids are not in class, students cannot be successful,” he said. 

During the meeting, Strauss took a moment to address the issues with the school budget that generated much debate at the end of the school year. 

He said once again he “owns” the budget mishap, but said “it’s very disturbing” that it has taken attention away from “what matters most: Our teachers and students.”

He initiated the discussion on his performance by reviewing the goals he presented to the school committee when he was hired in 2022. 

His professional learning goal focused on community and engagement, building relationships with stakeholders and upholding a standard of timely and effective communication, he said. 

While he noted that communication has improved over the years, “obviously there is more work to do,” he said. 

Enforcing the standard of yearly evaluations of staff was also something he wanted to work on, he said, noting “that’s why we’re here.” 

In terms of academic performance, Strauss listed that one of his objectives was to increase English Language Arts proficiency scores on benchmark assessments, which had dropped significantly since the pandemic, he said.

When it came time to talk about his accomplishments, Strauss held up a large stack of papers to substantiate the work he’s done. 

Under his supervision, the number of students that repeatedly miss class has dropped significantly. The rate of “chronic absenteeism,” which happens when students miss at least18 days of school, has decreased from 23% to 15% since he started in his position, he said. 

Another accomplishment he highlighted was the introduction of the “Backpack Program,” which provides free meals for students and their families over the weekend, when students can’t count on school meals. 

Strauss said a total of 2,000 backpacks have been filled with food since the program started, which equates to roughly 6,000 meals for students and family members. 

Other district wins he noted included achieving a 60% rating on the state accountability index, completing the Assawompset window and door beautification project and equipping staff with a master key to access to all classrooms and buildings across the district for safety reasons. 

Strauss also noted the 60% score is the highest the district has received in years. The state accountability index identifies whether schools need intervention and how they are performing against their own improvement targets, according to the Massachusetts Department of Education. 

Schools that have a 75% accountability score are classified as schools of recognition, said Strauss. “That is our goal.” 

As the second step in the evaluation process, the school committee will evaluate how the evidence Strauss has presented measures up to his goals and the rubric set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Their report will be shared at the Committee’s next meeting, which still hasn’t been set on the calendar. 

Despite the criticism the school system has received lately, Strauss said “the sky is not falling in this district and good things are happening.”