Lorain Bilingual Academy Cuts Chronic Absenteeism by Nearly 20%

A member of the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, this K–8 Lorain school turned relationship-building into record attendance gains.

Two Lorain Bilingual Academy students hold an Attendance All-Star certificate beside the Cleveland Browns mascot.

Key Findings

  • Cut chronic absenteeism by 19.6 percentage points in the 2024–25 school year
  • 288 students in kindergarten through 8th grade
  • Three years in the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network
  • Recognized with the Stay in the Game! Attendance Action Award

Lorain Bilingual Academy posted a record drop in chronic absenteeism — and did it by building relationships.

With an attendance strategy grounded in relationship-building, Lorain Bilingual Academy has the data to prove that students succeed when everyone is bought into the work.

The K–8 school in Lorain, Ohio, cut chronic absenteeism by nearly 20 percentage points in a single school year — thanks to Stay in the Game! strategies, support, and a partnership with the Cleveland Browns.

Jay Saez, Head of School at Lorain Bilingual Academy.

A strategy built on relationships

Head of School Jay Saez puts it simply: “As a principal, I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact Stay in the Game! has had on our school community. Their partnership has helped us make attendance a priority, engaging families in meaningful ways and celebrating students for showing up each day.”

That work is built on trust: seeing parents as partners in their student’s success, boosting teacher morale, and bringing the whole community in around the importance of showing up.

Through the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, the school is partnered with the Cleveland Browns. This partnership provides team-branded materials and activities, including mascot visits. These offerings celebrate good and improved attendance without pressuring a small school’s budget.

Peer learning and a Playbook worth sticking to

No matter a school’s size, attendance is a challenge. Lorain Bilingual pointed to monthly Stay in the Game! peer learning sessions as one of the strongest resources supporting its work — a chance to compare notes with other schools facing the same thing.

The team also leaned on the campaign Playbook, citing its side-by-side view of attendance goals and actuals as its greatest tool for tracking progress and informing strategy.

The results earned recognition: Stay in the Game! honored Lorain Bilingual with its Attendance Action Award at the network’s annual conference.

Three educators hold a glass trophy and a Cleveland Browns jersey at a Stay in the Game! award ceremony.

Interested in evidence-based attendance strategies for your school or district?

Contact us to learn more about the Stay in the Game! model.

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Educators seated at student desks with laptops during a professional learning session.

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