Dear Londonderry Parents and Community –
Below is the second part of my Fall 2026 Superintendent Video Newsletter focused on Student Absences. As a school system this year, we are doing things a little differently when it comes to students’ absences. After studying the issue for most of last year, we decided all of our schools should take a more proactive approach to message our students why we want them at school every day (when they are not sick.) The benefits to learning, building positive relationships with their teachers and friends, access to sports, the arts, and co-curriculars outside of the classroom and other resources are all a huge benefit to our students and their families every day they are at school! Our goal is to have all of our students only miss six days of school per year or maintain a 97% attendance rate or better. When we do start to see too many absences build up, we will start to share the number of days we are seeing with families (both excused and unexcused), share the learning and school activities that are being missed, and find ways to work with our families and students to decrease those absences.
Thank you Londonderry for sending the important message to all our students that they should be in school . . . when they are not sick.
Dan Black – Superintendent of Schools