East Baton Rouge Parish Schools Outpaced State in Making Significant Attendance Gains

BATON ROUGE, LA – September 12, 2025 – East Baton Rouge Parish Schools, Louisiana’s second-largest school system,made significant strides in reducing chronic absenteeism and re-engaging families, according to new data released by the Louisiana Department of Education. In the 2024-2025 school year EBR Schools improved chronic absenteeism by 8.7% (2.9 percentage points).  These results outpaced state-level gains in Louisiana, and marked a major step forward in the district’s commitment to student success.

“Improving student attendance has been a top priority for our district, and these results show what is possible when schools, families, and community partners work together. We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made and remain committed to building on this momentum for the benefit of all students in East Baton Rouge Parish Schools,” shared Superintendent LaMont Cole.

How They Did It
Recognizing that strong family engagement is key to better attendance, East Baton Rouge focused on streamlining attendance communication and providing tools and ongoing training to staff, enabling staff to do deeper, more personalized work with students and families. EBR joined a statewide pilot program with EveryDay Labs, supported by the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), the Success Through Attendance Recovery Task Force (STAR).

By shifting routine outreach—like sending attendance updates and reminders—to EveryDay Labs, EBR’s attendance team could focus more energy on what mattered most: removing barriers, building relationships, and supporting families one-on-one.

Tirzah Smith, Supervisor of Child Welfare & Attendance, explained “With Everyday Labs reaching out to parents regularly, it takes that load off of us and allows us to stay focused on engagement, removing barriers, and supporting families. Parents are now more knowledgeable and better partners in helping their children attend school consistently.”

The Results: EBR Schools ‘24-’25 Attendance Significantly Stronger than ‘23-24

• Chronic absenteeism improved by 8.7% (2.9 percentage points) from 33.4% to 30.5%
• Average Daily Attendance improved from 90.5% to 91.3%, an 8.4% reduction in overall absences
• Attendance improvement outpaced state level gains
  
  • EBR Schools improved chronic absenteeism by 2.9 percentage points vs. Louisiana state-level improvement of 2.1 points
  • EBR Schools reduced overall absences by 8.4% vs Louisiana state-level reduction of 6.5%

A Model for Others

Beyond the numbers, EBR leaders credit the initiative with transforming how the district connects with families. Staff now have the time and tools to provide meaningful support, while families feel more informed and empowered.

“The partnership has been great,” Smith shared. “From training to customer service, the support has been consistent. But most importantly, the outcomes speak for themselves. We’ve seen real results this year.”

East Baton Rouge Parish Schools’ success demonstrates that with the right systems and supports in place, districts can make measurable progress in improving attendance—and in doing so, help more students thrive.