More than one in four students in Colorado is chronically absent from school. That means they're missing 10% or more of the school year. New data released by the state shows nearly four in 10 Latino students are chronically absent, 10% above the state.

A school in Thornton is sharpening its focus on student attendance. York International School , a K–12 public school with about 800 students, has a goal of 95% daily attendance and a mission to slash chronic absenteeism.

"We are going to continue to focus on building relationships, making sure students feel a sense of belonging at our school," said Ben Schneider, York International Assistant Principal.

To do that, York uses advisories and direct outreach through its Attendance Refocus Program. The system flags absences so staff can call

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