New data show that San Luis Obispo County schools do better than their peers statewide in areas such as absenteeism and college readiness. However, local schools still lag behind where they were before the pandemic.
Students are considered chronically absent if they miss more than 10% of school days.
Most SLO County districts are below the state average of 18%, but Paso Robles and Shandon Joint Unified slightly exceed that figure. This is according to the California Department of Education, which just released a digital database with updated education statistics for every district.
Overall, chronic absenteeism in SLO County remains higher than before the pandemic.
High school graduation rates are relatively high in the county, and many districts improved their college and career readiness compared to last year, according to the state data. Coast Unified leads the way, with over 80% of students classified as prepared — 35 points above average.
Shandon Joint Unified has the lowest readiness rate at 31%, but that’s a big jump from just 10% last year.
Meanwhile, the state said fewer students were suspended in SLO County this year.
Some districts still exceed the state suspension average, though, with Coast Unified at the top. Suspensions in that district also primarily affect unhoused students, Latino students and long-term English learners.
