“Kathy Leads the LCPS student attendance team and I awarded her for the excellence in student achievement,” said Teresa Tenorio, President of the LCPS Board of Education.
“This began pretty much because of the pandemic when schools went remote. We had attendance become a major issue with chronic absenteeism across the nation. It wasn't just Las Cruces Public Schools. It was every school district across the United States.
At one point, it was over 40% of students who were missing up to 10% of school days or classes, excused or not. Ms. Vigil began in the year '22-'23 with the student attendance program, and under her leadership, she applied and was successfully awarded for the Attendance for Success PED grant for $300,000.
She initiated a paid internship program for NMSU social workers to support positive attendance behaviors and provide mentorship. Under her leadership, we have 97% of students who received mentorship. They demonstrated an increase in their attendance.
She provided guidance and support to all attendance teams, and as of May 2024, the overall student chronically absent rate, decreased from 34% to 28%.
Under her leadership, the LCPS attendance team accomplished the following, 364 home visits, 1417 student attendance intervention plans, 80 CYFD referrals and 31 JPO referrals, so, to Ms. Vigil, we are very thankful for the work you are doing and your leadership in the attendance teams,” Tenorio concluded.
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