After a year-long focus on attendance, Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and Christopher Rogers, director of operations and safety, said they met their goals to improve the daily attendance rate and reduce chronic absenteeism.
“We did well. We met our goals,” said Rogers, who runs the District Attendance Task Force that meets monthly throughout the year. School Committee member Kathleen Hillman and a representative from each school are on the team. He said they review data, share their best practices and collaborate.
Czaporowski said the total daily attendance rate improved to 93.4% this school year, compared to an average daily rate of 92.7% in the 2024-25 school year.
Rogers said a year ago, chronic absenteeism was at 20.8%. He said the goal for this year was to reduce it to 19.5%, and they ultimately achieved 17.6%. “We’re basically almost 2% lower than our goals,” he said.
Looking at chronic absenteeism in sub-groups, the rate of chronic absenteeism for students in special education dropped from 28.5% last year to 25% this year. “We met that goal of exactly 25%.”
Rogers said the district beat its goal for English language learners as a group, which had a chronic absenteeism rate of 30% last year and ended up at 23% this year.
“Part of the reason we focused specifically on special education and English language learners was the achievement gap; looking at attendance, we believe that had something to do with it. Our goal was to get high needs kids in their classes,” Czaporowski said.
One of the strategies they used was home visits with mentors and other staff members to understand what barriers were keeping students from coming to school. “By going to the homes, we learned why students weren’t coming,” Czaporowski said.
“The task force will continue its work,” said Czaporowski. “I also give a lot of credit to our principals and their site teams. They made a big push on attendance this year, along with the district. Each team came up with strategies to get their kids in school.”
“Attendance will remain a focus for us as we move forward. We know that for students that come regularly to school, socially, emotionally and academically, their potential for growth increases exponentially,” Czaporowski said. “It was a very good year, and we look forward to welcoming everybody back in the fall.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/06/districts-focus-on-attendance-produces-results.html
“We did well. We met our goals,” said Rogers, who runs the District Attendance Task Force that meets monthly throughout the year. School Committee member Kathleen Hillman and a representative from each school are on the team. He said they review data, share their best practices and collaborate.
Czaporowski said the total daily attendance rate improved to 93.4% this school year, compared to an average daily rate of 92.7% in the 2024-25 school year.
Rogers said a year ago, chronic absenteeism was at 20.8%. He said the goal for this year was to reduce it to 19.5%, and they ultimately achieved 17.6%. “We’re basically almost 2% lower than our goals,” he said.
Looking at chronic absenteeism in sub-groups, the rate of chronic absenteeism for students in special education dropped from 28.5% last year to 25% this year. “We met that goal of exactly 25%.”
Rogers said the district beat its goal for English language learners as a group, which had a chronic absenteeism rate of 30% last year and ended up at 23% this year.
“Part of the reason we focused specifically on special education and English language learners was the achievement gap; looking at attendance, we believe that had something to do with it. Our goal was to get high needs kids in their classes,” Czaporowski said.
One of the strategies they used was home visits with mentors and other staff members to understand what barriers were keeping students from coming to school. “By going to the homes, we learned why students weren’t coming,” Czaporowski said.
“The task force will continue its work,” said Czaporowski. “I also give a lot of credit to our principals and their site teams. They made a big push on attendance this year, along with the district. Each team came up with strategies to get their kids in school.”
“Attendance will remain a focus for us as we move forward. We know that for students that come regularly to school, socially, emotionally and academically, their potential for growth increases exponentially,” Czaporowski said. “It was a very good year, and we look forward to welcoming everybody back in the fall.”
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/06/districts-focus-on-attendance-produces-results.html
Westfield Public Schools will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026, for the Juneteenth Holiday. Thank you.
🌟 Discover the Difference at Westfield Public Schools! 🌟
Westfield Public Schools is excited to announce that a limited number of School Choice seats are available for the 2026–2027 school year at our elementary schools, Westfield Intermediate School, Westfield Middle School, and Westfield High School!
Through Massachusetts School Choice, families can choose to enroll their children in Westfield Public Schools regardless of where they live—at no cost to parents.
Why choose Westfield?
✅ Strong academic programs
✅ Exceptional teachers and staff
✅ Career and technical education opportunities
✅ Early College and Innovation Pathways programs
✅ A wide variety of extracurricular activities, athletics, and student supports
Don't miss this opportunity to become part of a school community dedicated to helping every student learn, grow, and succeed.
For more information and application details, please visit:
https://westfieldpubma.sites.thrillshare.com/.../announce...
We look forward to welcoming new students and families to Westfield Public Schools!
Westfield Public Schools is excited to announce that a limited number of School Choice seats are available for the 2026–2027 school year at our elementary schools, Westfield Intermediate School, Westfield Middle School, and Westfield High School!
Through Massachusetts School Choice, families can choose to enroll their children in Westfield Public Schools regardless of where they live—at no cost to parents.
Why choose Westfield?
✅ Strong academic programs
✅ Exceptional teachers and staff
✅ Career and technical education opportunities
✅ Early College and Innovation Pathways programs
✅ A wide variety of extracurricular activities, athletics, and student supports
Don't miss this opportunity to become part of a school community dedicated to helping every student learn, grow, and succeed.
For more information and application details, please visit:
https://westfieldpubma.sites.thrillshare.com/.../announce...
We look forward to welcoming new students and families to Westfield Public Schools!
Westfield Intermediate School opened its doors back in 2018, and this year’s graduating seniors were the very first class to spend their 5th and 6th-grade years at WIS. It was an honor to welcome back members of the WHS and WTA Class of 2026 for a walkthrough today. Our students and staff lined the halls to greet and congratulate them. "Once a WIS-kid, always a WIS-kid!"
As a culminating activity for our grade-wide food truck math project, students at Westfield Intermediate School had the exciting opportunity to learn from real local businesses. Throughout the project, students worked hard across the grade level to design their own food trucks, create menus, determine pricing, calculate expenses and profits, and develop marketing materials. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to 7Bs Food Truck and the Holyoke Ice Cream Cart for visiting our school and sharing their experiences as business owners. Their presentations helped students connect the math skills they used throughout the project to real-world applications, while also inspiring creativity, entrepreneurship, and future career interests. We are grateful for the time, knowledge, and enthusiasm they brought to our students
Show up. Learn. Grow. Repeat. Every day in school = one step closer to your goals! #everydaycounts
Westfield Public Schools has a limited number of School Choice seats available for the 2026-2027 school year at our elementary schools, intermediate and middle school, and Westfield High School. The School Choice program allows parents to send their children to schools in communities other than the city or town in which they reside at no cost. Please visit https://westfieldpubma.sites.thrillshare.com/page/announcement-of-school-choice for more information.
Westfield Public Schools Director of Human Resources Michael Morris has announced that two finalists have been selected for the principal position at Westfield Intermediate School. They are Mary Claire St. James, currently the principal for Stafford Elementary School in Connecticut, and Gary Wright, assistant principal at East Longmeadow High School.
Finalist forums will be held on Monday, June 1. Staff forums in the WIS library are scheduled for 2:45-3:15 p.m. to meet with Wright, and 3:15-3:45 p.m. to meet with St. James. Parent/community forums are scheduled for 5-5:30 p.m. to meet with Wright, and 5:40-6:10 p.m. to meet with St. James.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/05/finalist-forums-set-for-westfield-intermediate-school-principal-search.html
Finalist forums will be held on Monday, June 1. Staff forums in the WIS library are scheduled for 2:45-3:15 p.m. to meet with Wright, and 3:15-3:45 p.m. to meet with St. James. Parent/community forums are scheduled for 5-5:30 p.m. to meet with Wright, and 5:40-6:10 p.m. to meet with St. James.
https://www.masslive.com/westfieldnews/2026/05/finalist-forums-set-for-westfield-intermediate-school-principal-search.html
Please click here for the latest newsletter from Westfield Public Schools. https://app.smore.com/n/95wjz
A reminder that Westfield Public Schools will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026. Thank you.
Every day in school matters—attendance builds success.
Today we celebrate our incredible school nurses—thank you for the care, compassion, and expertise you bring to our schools every single day. Your work keeps our students safe, healthy, and ready to learn. Happy School Nurses Day!
Happy National Teacher Appreciation Day!
Thank you to our incredible teachers for your dedication, passion, and the difference you make every day. #ThankATeacher
Thank you to our incredible teachers for your dedication, passion, and the difference you make every day. #ThankATeacher
Please click here for the latest newsletter from Westfield Intermediate School. Thank you! https://app.smore.com/n/k1rf5
Hey students — showing up is your superpower. Each day you’re in class you level up your skills, meet friends, and get closer to your dreams. Be here. Be curious. Be unstoppable. #attendancematters
Regular school attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success. When students come to school each day they learn new skills, stay connected with teachers and classmates, and access the supports they need to thrive. Chronic absenteeism can make it hard to catch up — but every day missed is also an opportunity to improve. Let’s work together — families, teachers, and neighbors — to make sure every student can be present, safe, and ready to learn. #EveryDayCounts #AchievingExcellenceTogether
A reminder that there is no school for students Monday, April 20 - Friday, April 24 for Spring Vacation. Have a safe Spring Break!
This morning, on "Superintendent's Spotlight", we talked with CEO Bo Sullivan about summer programming and the planned expansion of the Teen Center at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield. Westfield Technical Academy students and staff also stopped by to help us recognize National Eggs Benedict Day. Thanks for watching. #AchievingExcellenceTogether
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi9Vr2F_1qA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi9Vr2F_1qA
Friday, April 10, marked the first-ever Westfield Public Schools Applied Learning Student Showcase. Students from grades 2-12 representing all schools in our district presented projects to local professionals and community members.
The event highlighted applied learning across multiple subjects, including STEM, science, computer science, civics, and history. Additionally, students from the Free Web Clinic course provided local businesses with professional consultations and website improvement strategies.
This showcase was made possible through the support of our partners and dedicated staff:
Mestek: Thank you for hosting this event.
The One8 Foundation: We appreciate your sponsorship and support of applied learning.
Local Businesses and Volunteers: Thank you for providing students with professional feedback and serving as an authentic audience.
Westfield Teachers: Thank you for facilitating this work in the classroom and guiding student success.
We are proud of the hard work and professional engagement demonstrated by our students.
The event highlighted applied learning across multiple subjects, including STEM, science, computer science, civics, and history. Additionally, students from the Free Web Clinic course provided local businesses with professional consultations and website improvement strategies.
This showcase was made possible through the support of our partners and dedicated staff:
Mestek: Thank you for hosting this event.
The One8 Foundation: We appreciate your sponsorship and support of applied learning.
Local Businesses and Volunteers: Thank you for providing students with professional feedback and serving as an authentic audience.
Westfield Teachers: Thank you for facilitating this work in the classroom and guiding student success.
We are proud of the hard work and professional engagement demonstrated by our students.
Student success starts with showing up! Daily attendance helps build strong habits, lasting friendships, and academic achievement. Let’s work together to make every day count! #AttendanceMatters
