Berkeley Schools Slip to Orange on Chronic Absenteeism; Directors Press for Fixes
Board of Education • Berkeley Unified School DistrictNovember 4, 2026
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The Berkeley Unified Board of Education spent more than an hour on its longest discussion of the night: why students are missing school, which students miss the most, and whether the district's outreach is reaching them. Directors pressed staff on data, early warning systems and counselor capacity. Parents and neighbors used public comment to push the board on Rally Day safety, the Moline Field environmental review, stadium noise and generative AI.
- Chronic absenteeism rating fell to orange on the state dashboard. High school, Black and McKinney-Vento students are most affected.
- Superintendent pledges a careful Rally Day review. Parents want a Berkeley High safety plan before Spring Spirit Week.
- Moline Field neighbors seek more time to comment on the environmental review. The board says it cannot act without public notice.
- Enrollment projected at 9,452 for 2026-27, up from a low of 9,104. Staff also corrected a matriculation error.
- Organized neighbors petition for stadium volume caps. Two parents urged a pause on student use of generative AI.
Attendance Data Puts Pressure on Outreach
Why it matters: State funding follows attendance. The district's California Dashboard rating for chronic absenteeism fell from yellow to orange, and the largest gaps fall on Black students and students experiencing homelessness.
Where things stand: Staff reported an overall chronic absenteeism figure that improved from 13.5 to 11.9. Rates were highest for Black students and McKinney-Vento students, the federal category for students without stable housing. "Our 12th grade had the lowest attendance rate overall at 93.2%," said Dr. Shelley, Director of Student Services. The district has sent 57,000 texts and 21,000 letters. "This year we started doing home visits in August," Shelley said, describing visits driven by the district's early warning system.
Directors dig in: Director Jennifer Shanoski asked for sample sizes behind the data. She also raised a case in which a family received three truancy-style letters at once. Staff said that should not happen and that they would investigate. Board Vice President Jennifer Corn urged lighter-touch interventions: "Home visits takes a lot more effort than sending a quick email to a kid to say, hey, we missed you today." Staff acknowledged that coordination has been inconsistent and said the work so far strengthens Tier 1, the universal supports every student receives.
Survey targets: Shanoski challenged secondary-level connectedness goals on the California Healthy Kids Survey. "I'm wondering why we changed our target from 80% to 70%," she said. Jill Hogendyke, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, replied, "We didn't drop it. We started with a baseline." Staff said each target was set about 10 points above that level's baseline, and elementary baselines run higher.
The screening question: SABERS is a quick universal screener for every child. It is in a soft rollout at a few sites. District leaders cautioned that identifying struggling students requires the capacity to respond, noting that some elementary counseling supports rely on shrinking one-time funding. Shanoski urged additional descriptive surveys, such as an earlier partnership with UC Berkeley. Director Beatriz Leyva-Cutler argued that attendance problems start early: "It starts in preschool." She also asked about preschool-to-TK connections and student focus groups.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The board took no action. Families of Black and homeless students have the most at stake, and counselors and teachers are being asked to share the work. Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel said "it should not be the responsibility only of the counselors to communicate."
What's next: Watch for whether SABERS expands beyond the pilot sites, and how the district funds the response capacity it needs.
Rally Day: 'Get It Right, Not Simply Get It Out'
Why it matters: Families say safety fears now shape enrollment choices. One parent said those fears are why her younger child cannot attend Berkeley High.
Where things stand: Ford Morthel said after-action reviews of the Rally Day violence are continuing. The reviews include meetings with the Berkeley Police Department and the CEO of the Downtown Berkeley Association. Staff are weighing options that preserve the spirit of Rally Day for cost and feasibility. "Our goal this round is to get it right, not simply get it out," Ford Morthel said. She noted the district has time before next year's event.
The other side: Parents said urgency is warranted now. Susan Snyder, a public commenter with a disabled Berkeley High graduate and an eighth grader, called the district's communication untimely and uninformative. She asked for support to keep disabled students safe. Jenny Mahalan-Biers, a Berkeley High parent, asked for a safety plan on an upcoming agenda before Spring Spirit Week. She asked that the plan be built with safety officers and students, and that teachers and families get faster communication. Daniel Brownson, a public commenter, said he learned about the violence mostly through rumor.
A freshman parent identified as Daniel praised the Freshman Friday arrangements. He floated food trucks or fundraising to support closed-campus days. He also said only one of the Safety Committee's last four meetings reached a quorum, and he urged looser quorum rules.
What's next: Corn urged families to attend a DESEAC listening session on school culture and climate.
Moline Field Neighbors Run Against the Clock
The basics: Scoping is the early stage of an environmental impact report (EIR). During scoping, the public helps decide which impacts the study examines.
Where things stand: Peter Weller, spokesperson for neighbors around Moline Field, asked the board to extend the comment period, which speakers said closes the Friday after the meeting. Neighbors cited written requests to the Facilities Department that drew little communication and a 200-plus-page document. Christy Holmes, a neighbor, said supporting documents were inaccessible and that neighbors were caught by surprise. She added that the group is not anti-sports.
The other side: Leyva-Cutler asked, "Is there a possibility to extend the deadline?" Corn answered: "I don't believe we can extend the deadline tonight because it would have had to have been publicly noticed on our agenda."
What's next: In the second public comment period, Weller asked whether the superintendent could extend the deadline directly. He requested a reply from Facilities and said the website linked from the field banner's QR code lacks scoping information. The deadline stands unless the superintendent or Facilities acts.
Enrollment Grows Against the Statewide Trend
Why it matters: Funding follows average daily attendance, and enrollment drives staffing and budget projections.
Where things stand: Hogendyke and Francisco Martinez, Admissions Officer, projected 2026-27 enrollment at 9,452. That is up from a 2022-24 low of 9,104, even as enrollment declines statewide and nationally. Of 653 fifth graders, staff said 92.13% went on to sixth grade in the district. That corrects a miscalculation that had suggested a much larger loss. The sixth grade also added 88 new enrollments. The district holds 780 interdistrict permits, and TK grew from eight classes to 21.
The other side: Directors asked why students leave. "We don't collect information of the families that don't attend our schools," Martinez said. Staff said they could try to collect departure reasons next year. They noted private school enrollment grows starting in sixth grade across Alameda County. Staff do not collect eighth-to-ninth grade data because students enroll automatically at Berkeley High.
What's next: An amended report returns as an information item.
Neighbors Want Quieter Stadium; Parents Want AI Pause
Stadium noise: Susanna Porti presented a petition from Channing Way and McKinley Avenue residents. The petition cites stadium sound levels above 70 decibels, against a 55-decibel limit under Berkeley Municipal Code 13.40.050. Residents are asking for zero-cost fixes using existing equipment, such as digital limiters and locked volume controls, plus written confirmation of the steps taken. Ron Kyle, a 41-year McKinley Avenue resident, described years of loud announcers and music, including on youth football weekends. Brownson questioned why the neighbors moved next to a high school.
Generative AI: Rachy Lee asked for a temporary moratorium on student use of generative AI for schoolwork unless a teacher authorizes it. She said her emailed questions about which tools are blocked went unanswered. Megan Warner said parents had reported gambling, gaming and video use on school devices. She criticized the district's tone toward concerned parents and demanded a plan.
Responsiveness: Saeed Benhaneh, a first-time speaker, said his repeated emails and calls to board members went unanswered.
What's next: By rule, the board does not respond during public comment, and it took no action on these requests.
- Consent calendar approved by voice vote; no tally was announced. Item 12.4 was pulled and approved separately by voice vote. The Shanghai trip for Chinese 2 and 3 students, for up to eight students, will now be supervised by one certificated staff member plus Flying Tiger Association representatives.
- African American Success Advisory Committee member Kamika Goodwin asked for resources, regular public data and formal responses to committee recommendations. "The framework gives us a plan. Our children are counting on us to carry it out," she said.
- Closed session: The board gave direction on item 3.1 and took one unanimous action on item 3.2. Its subject was not stated.
- Facilities master plan: Parent and architect Ethan Youngerman praised the board for authorizing the plan. He urged that it advance the district's mission rather than simply list projects.
- Brownson opposed contracting with private bus companies in favor of higher driver pay. He also objected to alleged action against educators who spoke about Gaza.
Looking ahead: The district announced a community meeting on the bell schedule for the Monday after the meeting. The African American Success Advisory Committee plans a Dec. 2 meeting with Black faculty and staff and has invited the board to a Feb. 10 community forum. The board adjourned in honor of Dolores Huerta.