Submitted Photo From left: Elementary Assistant Principal Josh Case, Elementary Principal Meagan Radoani, and Brian Boedo, Board of Education member and owner of Just Pets Inc.

SILVER CREEK — Through his work as President of the Michael Boedo Community Foundation and as a Board of Education member at Silver Creek, Brian Boedo is often making a difference in the Silver Creek community.

Recently, however, it was another one of his roles that gave him the opportunity to make a difference in the area he calls home.

As the owner of Just Pets Inc., an Amazon Hub Partner, Boedo donated 60 backpacks filled with school supplies to be distributed to students in need throughout Silver Creek Central Schools. The backpacks were delivered prior to the recent meeting of the Board of Education, who voted to gratefully accept the donation.

Through Just Pets’ partnership with Amazon, Boedo also donated six bags of garden soil to the Elementary Garden Club for use in the school’s gardens.

While Boedo is doing his part to help students once they get to school, the district’s administrators are hoping to address the issues they face in getting students to show up in the first place.

The district has increased its focus this upcoming year on reducing chronic absenteeism. A presentation was given by Shannon Matson, Director of Positive Interventions and Family Connectedness, at the recent Board meeting highlighting the district’s absenteeism rates.

In response to absenteeism increasing since the pandemic, the district has launched the #everyday campaign with a focus on having students attend school every day they are able. “We want our students in school every day,” Superintendent Dr. Katie Ralston said.

This past year, 32% of students within the district were chronically absent — defined as missing more than 10% of the days each school year. The #everyday campaign hopes to reduce that figure by 20% this year. The district hopes to do so by changing the messaging related to attendance, increasing parent/guardian contact, and establishing clearer guidelines on when to keep a student home from school.

The district will provide more information to parents/guardians in the coming weeks.