Mountain View School District

Mountain View School District: Building a Districtwide Model for Attendance and Family Engagement

Location

El Monte, CA

Type

District of 8 schools serving grades TK–8

Students

4,700 students

A District Committed to the Whole Child​

Mountain View School District serves 4,700 TK–8 students across eight schools in El Monte, California—a diverse community where nearly all families speak a language other than English at home. The district has a long-standing commitment to family engagement and the development of the whole child, providing not only rigorous academics but also robust counseling, mental health, and enrichment programs. But until 2025, its approach to attendance management hadn’t kept pace with its broader communication goals.

Fragmented Attendance Systems and Equity Gaps​

Each school had its own process. Attendance clerks and principals carefully tracked student absences, but most of that information lived in spreadsheets, emails, and handwritten notes. This made it nearly impossible to see attendance trends across the district or to know whether outreach was happening consistently. “Every absence has a reason,” explained Dr. Mercedes Gómez, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. “We needed a way to see those patterns, respond quickly, and make sure families felt supported—not judged.”

The fragmented approach also posed challenges for equity. Families often received calls or letters from multiple people, sometimes in English only, sometimes through paper notices given to students that never made it home. Others had no record of communication at all. “We realized we were working incredibly hard, but not always efficiently,” said Diego Reyes, Student & Family Support Services Technician. “We needed to align our efforts—district to site, site to family—so that everyone was part of the same system of support.”

Early Adoption of ParentSquare Attendance Plus Drives Better Data​

In spring 2025, the district partnered with ParentSquare to pilot ParentSquare Attendance Plus across all eight schools, making it one of the first districts in California to do so. The pilot was intentionally designed as a collaboration, with school leaders and attendance teams actively shaping the platform’s evolution. As early adopters, their input helped refine key features like the District Dashboard, Student Profile Page, and Workflows, ensuring that staff could easily track interventions, monitor progress, and document outreach in one place.

Weekly check-ins and webinars with the ParentSquare team gave district staff a direct line to the developers. “Our input shaped the tool,” said Gómez. “That collaboration made adoption seamless.” Attendance Plus quickly became more than a tracking tool—it became a bridge between school and home, built around accountability and empathy.

ParentSquare Smart Sites Expand Access and Language Equity

At the same time, Mountain View School District rolled out ParentSquare Smart Sites, giving each school an ADA-compliant, mobile-friendly, multilingual website. For families, it was transformative. Instead of navigating different systems and designs, they could now access consistent information, announcements, and attendance reminders from a single source—and in their preferred language. The effort reinforced the district’s mission to meet families where they are and create a sense of belonging for every student.

From Pilot to Culture Change

By summer 2025, 100% of schools were actively using Attendance Plus, and thousands of family messages had been sent through the system. By September 2025, districtwide attendance climbed above 94%. Principals reported that attendance meetings were now grounded in shared data rather than anecdotes. Teachers could see how attendance connected to engagement and student outcomes, and families appreciated the proactive, positive tone of the outreach.

The district also launched an attendance campaign called ‘Success Starts With Showing Up,’ to help reach their attendance goal of 98%.

One principal described the shift as “a complete culture change.” Instead of focusing solely on absences, staff were celebrating improvements—acknowledging students who turned things around, communicating early when issues arose, and approaching families as partners in problem-solving. Attendance conversations became about support and encouragement, not blame.

Leading on Compliance, Efficiency, and Transparency

The impact extended to compliance as well. California Education Code 48326 requires all schools to have formal attendance teams by July 2026. Because of the Attendance Plus pilot, Mountain View not only met that requirement early, but it helped define what readiness could look like for other California districts. “We weren’t reacting to compliance,” said Gómez. “We were modeling readiness.”

District leaders also saw efficiency gains. Time spent tracking attendance data dropped dramatically as manual entry and cross-checking were replaced by automated reporting. Intervention logs could be pulled instantly, saving clerks and site administrators hours each week. “The transparency alone has changed how we work,” said Reyes. “Now we can see what’s happening at every school and respond as a team.”

Sustaining a Model for Family Engagement and Accountability

Mountain View’s story is one of proactive leadership and authentic partnership. By combining the power of ParentSquare Attendance Plus and Smart Sites, the district created a model that unites accountability, equity, and family connection. For Gómez, it’s about more than numbers. “ParentSquare helps us live our mission,” she said. “Engaging families, empowering staff, and ensuring every student is seen, supported, and successful.”