Massachusetts
Massachusetts struggling to get kids back to school after pandemic
State Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler is putting his face front and center as officials try to get more kids back into the classroom and overcome high absenteeism rates fueled by the pandemic.
Tutwiler appears in television and radio public service announcements, billboards, transit ads, emails and social media messages in a multilingual public outreach campaign geared at increasing attendance rates that officials launched last week.
“The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted a lot of routines including the habit of attending school everyday. Even now, students are missing more days of school than before,” Tutwiler says in a 30-second commercial. “But school can be a place to heal and grow, to be with friends, to have the support of a whole team of adults. Let’s work together to make attendance a priority. After all, school is where kids belong.”
Campaign messages refer the public to resources offered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to combat chronic absenteeism — defined by at least 10% of days in a school year missed for any reason.
Chronic absenteeism across Massachusetts increased by 72% from 2019 to 2023, state figures show. The percentage did drop from 28% at the pandemic peak to 22% last school year as the recovery continues, but officials say too many students are still not showing up everyday.
“While students should stay home when they’re sick, regular attendance should be as much a part of students’ lives as it was before the pandemic,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a release. “We’re proud to launch this ad campaign to spread the word about resources available to families and schools to help get kids back into the classroom.”
High rates of absenteeism have been tied to risks of lower literacy and reduced academic achievement and graduation, among others. The measurable impact of the rise is “startling,” officials have said.
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS, exam scores broadly reflect a wide gap between chronically absent students and others, Curtin said. On the 2023 English MCAS exam for grades three to eight, for instance, 46% of non-chronically absent students and only 25% of chronically absent students met or exceeded expectations, figures show.
The new public outreach campaign coincides with a $4 million recovery initiative, funded with the education department’s remaining federal COVID relief allotment, to address the issue.
Participating districts and educational collaboratives are using $10,000 each from the state to create or strengthen family engagement and student tracking and monitoring programs, among other efforts.
“Absenteeism is really a manifestation of an unmet need,” Tutwiler said in a release. “We need to work with students and families to understand the barriers to attending school they’re facing — and remind them that when students aren’t in the classroom, they’re missing out on much more than their education,”
Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley in November proposed increasing the weight of chronic absenteeism in the district and school accountability system “to highlight the importance and urgency of the issue.”
The accountability system uses targets for attendance, MCAS scores, graduation rates, transportation and other metrics to evaluate districts’ performance and direct funding.
Attendance is currently weighted at 10% of districts’ scores, but officials said the weighting could shift to prioritize the problem area. Federal requirements mandate a high level of focus on measures of achievement and growth.
“Chronic absenteeism affects almost three-quarters of the schools in our state,” Riley said in a release. “No matter where we’re from — rural, suburban or urban districts — we’re in this together as one community,”
Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.
The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.
State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.
The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.
In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.
Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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Massachusetts residents love their beach towns.
And Condé Nast Magazine loves two particular beach towns in the Bay State, but surprisingly didn’t pick a beach on Cape Cod.
That’s why the towns were included on the magazine’s 2025 list of the 17 best beach towns on the East Coast.
“Whether you’re looking to lay out on the sand in summer or prefer walking along the water spotting wildlife and collecting rocks, the shores of the East Coast have a little something for everyone,” Condé Nast stated on its website.
Here’s more about the magazine’s favorite beach towns in Massachusetts.
Oak Bluffs ranked No. 5 on the list
Coming in at number 5 is one of the most popular spots on Martha’s Vineyard – Oak Bluffs.
What they said: “The colorful gingerbread houses for which Oak Bluffs is known are straight out of a storybook. Visitors walk straight off their boats into Ocean Park, a circular green overlooking the sea, encircled by said houses, with a frothy, delicate gazebo sitting in the center. Oak Bluffs has a long history of welcoming Black visitors, and today it is home to the annual African-American Film Festival.”
Rockport ranked No. 4 on the list
Rockport is a town on the North Shore of the Bay State.
What they said: “The coastal region is known for its excellent seafood, beautiful beaches, and historic landmarks. Many a good film has been filmed here as well, such as Martin Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ and Kenneth Lonergan’s ‘Manchester-by-the-Sea.’
“Forty miles north of Boston, (Rockport) has a can’t-miss natural gem in Halibut Point State Park, from which visitors can spot Maine in the distance 80 miles away. Rockport is also beloved by art history buffs: it is home to Motif Number 1, a fishing shack with the superlative ‘the most-often painted building in America.’ It was built in 1840, and was a popular subject because it represented New England’s nautical character.”
What other regions of New England are on the list?
According to Condé Nast, they include:
- Bar Harbor, Maine
- Kennebunkport, Maine
- Newport, Rhode Island
- Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
- Madison, Connecticut
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