The Utah State Board of Education on Wednesday approved using $150,000 in carryforward funds to support a statewide attendance campaign called "Every Day Counts." The board also directed staff to provide a report summarizing the campaign's performance at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year.

The motion to repurpose $150,000 came from Member Kelly and passed 14' 1; Member Boggess opposed. Board members described the funding as an entry-level, targeted campaign to amplify existing attendance-coaching work already under way at USBE. Staff said the attendance team has been providing individualized coaching to more than 20 local education agencies, producing newsletters, hosting webinars and running unpaid social media outreach; the funding would be used to hire professional marketing support to broaden reach.

Staff and board members discussed how campaign results will be measured. USBE's communications and attendance teams told the board they will track earned media, web traffic to campaign landing pages, social media analytics and whether districts report changes in attendance metrics after campaign activity. The board amended the motion to require the staff report at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year to include key data and metrics; the amendment passed unanimously and was folded into the funding motion.

Board members debated whether attendance problems reflect broader classroom or staffing issues. Some members said improving teacher retention and classroom conditions remain essential and must be pursued alongside campaigns encouraging families to send students to school. USBE staff agreed: the campaign is one part of a broader attendance strategy that includes district coaching and policy work.

What comes next: Staff said they will contract marketing support, track campaign analytics, and deliver the year-end performance report to the board as requested.