Stamford Awarded $350,000 To Improve Student Attendance And Engagement

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford will receive $350,000 in state funding through Connecticut's Learner Engagement and Attendance Program, which uses home visits to help improve student attendance and engagement.

The city is among 29 school districts receiving approximately $6.2 million in grants announced by Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker this week.

Through the program, known as LEAP, trained school staff and community partners connect with students and families, identify barriers contributing to absences and help families access resources that support consistent school attendance.

The grants are funded through a dedicated $7 million state budget allocation established with support from Lamont and the Connecticut General Assembly. The remaining funds support statewide program operations, including home visitor training, implementation and data collection.

"We launched LEAP because we knew we needed to find new ways to reconnect students and families with their schools, and the results show that this approach is working," Lamont said in a news release. "That is why we are making LEAP a sustained state investment and expanding it to more districts. Getting students into classrooms and keeping them engaged is fundamental to their success, and this investment will help more schools build the relationships with families that make a real difference."

Lamont and the Connecticut State Department of Education launched LEAP in 2021 using federal COVID-19 relief funding after chronic absenteeism rose sharply during the pandemic and many students became disconnected from their schools. Research on strengthening relationships between families and schools informed the structured home visiting program.

LEAP initially served 15 school districts, later expanded to 25 and will reach 29 with the latest grants. Since its launch, home visitors have conducted approximately 88,000 visits and reached approximately 53,000 students, Lamont's office said.

Statewide chronic absenteeism has declined for four consecutive years, from 23.7 percent in 2021-2022 to 16.4 percent in 2025-2026, according to Lamont's office.

Nearly 35,000 more students are attending school regularly compared with 2021-2022. LEAP is one component of the state’s broader strategy to improve attendance and engagement.

An evaluation through the Center for Connecticut Education Research Collaboration found that attendance improved by more than 10 percentage points after a LEAP visit. Students who received a visit also experienced a 5-percentage-point decline in the number of disciplinary incidents.

"Students attending school consistently are engaged in their learning, more connected to their peers and school community, and better positioned for academic success," Russell-Tucker said.

"At the heart of LEAP is human connection. Our home visitors, educators, district leaders, and community partners are building relationships one student and one family at a time, helping us understand and address the barriers that can keep students from school.

"We are grateful to Governor Lamont and the Connecticut General Assembly for their continued investment in this work and commitment to ensuring more students are present, engaged, and ready to learn. This collaboration demonstrates our theme in education, Connecticut’s Mission: Empower Every Learner’s Educational Journey."

Developed in partnership with the nonprofit Attendance Works, LEAP is supported by EdAdvance and the Capitol Region Education Council. The organizations coordinate with participating districts to provide data tools, home visitor training and technical assistance.