Creekside Early Childhood School, Lakota Local Schools

State: Ohio | Type of School: Suburban  | Students: 17,540

Demographics: 60.2% White, 13.4% Black, 9.7% Asian/Pacific Islander, 10.4% Hispanic/Latino

Free or reduced lunch: 32%

Creekside Early Childhood School is tackling attendance challenges for K-2nd grade students head-on - and it is working. This year, they’ve reduced the number of students flagged for chronic absenteeism by 82%! As part of the Lakota Local School District in Ohio, the Creekside team recognized that early intervention and consistency are key. Principal Todd Hartman and Assistant Principal Jess Skelton embedded strong attendance practices into daily routines—and with help from Branching Minds to track data and streamline supports, they built a system that works for both students and staff.

The Challenge

Lack of visibility and coordination around chronic absenteeism

Chronic absenteeism was a big concern. “For our kids to grow and learn, they needed to be in school,” Todd emphasized. However, tracking attendance interventions and sharing updates among stakeholders—from teachers to support staff—was inconsistent, making it harder to provide coordinated help for students and families.

Teachers and administrators relied on Google Forms and spreadsheets to track behavior, communication logs, and attendance, leading to inconsistencies. Jessica explained, “Each K-2 building handled data collection differently, with no efficient way to share information.” This made it hard to support students moving between grades or schools, creating gaps in important data. Another issue was the lack of accessible historical data for teachers. Each year, they often started with little to no information about new students.

The Result

Team Collaboration and Better Attendance

With their focused work, attendance became a key goal within the school’s culture. Staff formed an “attendance army,” a team dedicated to checking in on students flagged for absenteeism. Todd highlighted the results: “We started with 98 students marked for chronic absenteeism. By October, that number dropped to 55, and now we’re down to 18.” This improvement came through consistent tracking, better communication, and strong relationships with families.

By partnering with Branching Minds, Creekside gained a tool to unify data tracking and interventions. Jess noted, “It cuts down on tracking down teachers or asking around. You can look in one place and see the work that’s been done.” For students transitioning between classrooms or grades, this system ensures no critical information is lost, providing seamless support.

The ease of collaboration with the Branching Minds platform reduced workloads and empowered educators with quick access to student progress insights. Jessica shared, “I can pull an intervention report for a parent meeting and clearly show patterns with graphs.” This helped parents understand their children’s needs and progress. For students, the collaborative approach ensured they felt supported. Todd added, “The needle is moving. Fewer students need intensive attendance interventions because of the relationships and teamwork.”

A Lasting Impact on Attendance

Through commitment, innovation and teamwork, Creekside has made great strides with chronic absenteeism and team collaboration.  Using the Branching Minds platform has made the work easier, but lasting  success comes from Creekside's dedicated staff. Their hard work has fostered an inclusive, supportive environment that ensures every child has the chance to thrive. 

💡 Watch Todd and Jessica share more about their work: Roll Call! Addressing the Roots of Absenteeism with MTSS