SchoolStatus Welcomes 2025-26 Customer Advisory Board Members

Two dedicated boards, one focused on attendance, one on family engagement, will give district leaders direct impact on how SchoolStatus builds for the future.

DORADO HILLS, CA, October 14, 2025—SchoolStatus today announced the members of two Customer Advisory Boards for the 2025-26 school year: the Attendance Advisory Board and the Family Engagement & Communications Advisory Board. Two dedicated boards enables each to focus on the topics and products that matter most to its members, from improving attendance to strengthening the connection between schools and families.

The best ideas in education come from the directors, superintendents, and communications leaders who do this work every day, in real districts, with real students and families. These boards exist to make sure those voices help shape how SchoolStatus continues evolving to meet customer needs in a rapidly changing educational landscape. Members meet throughout the year to share what’s working on the ground, pressure-test new ideas, and help guide the direction of the suite of SchoolStatus products.

The partnerships are grounded in results. SchoolStatus supports districts across the country in tackling two of the toughest challenges in K–12 today: chronic absenteeism and disengaged families and students. Districts using SchoolStatus Attend reduce chronic absenteeism by an average of 36% in two years, using innovations like Early Warning Insights, the predictive analytics that help teams reach the right students before absences become a pattern. SchoolStatus Connect helps districts communicate with every family in the language and on the device they use most. The leaders below represent districts that have put these tools to work, and are helping make them even better.

“School districts using systematic attendance interventions are seeing real improvements,” said Dr. Kara Stern, Director of Education at SchoolStatus. “This advisory board brings together educators who understand what works day to day. Their insights help us build better tools and share successful strategies statewide.”

Thank you to the dedicated customers who are participating in this year’s advisory boards!

Attendance Advisory Board

• Laura Cortes — Director of Student & Community Services, Lindsay Unified School District
• Annie Murphy — Director of Student Services, Union Elementary School District
• Dr. Ammar Saheli — Director of Student Support Services, San Lorenzo Unified School District 
• Johnny Gonzalez — Area Superintendent, Sanger Unified School District
• Ramiro Rubalcaba — Superintendent, Los Nietos School District
• Gamal Salama — Director of Student Services, Bassett Unified School District
• Angela Allen-Hess — Coordinator, Child Welfare & Attendance, Newport-Mesa Unified School District
• Ian Fish — Assistant Director of Student Services, Alvord Unified School District
• Jay Berns — Director of Special Programs & Student Services, Washington Unified School District
• Marvin Atkins — Director of Student Services, Garden Grove Unified School District
• Tiffany Hampton — Director of Student Services, Victor Valley Union High School District
• Jens Brandt — Director of Instructional Support, Director of SARB 16, and Principal of Alternative Education, Redondo Beach Unified School District

Family Engagement & Communications Advisory Board

• Chris Borland — Instructional Specialist for Technology, La Vega ISD
• Laura Bucio — Family Engagement Coordinator, Rome City Schools
• Elizabeth Gamache — SIS Coordinator/Website Systems Administrator, Washington Unified School District
• Chelane Garcia-Herrada — Digital Communications Coordinator, Douglas County School District
• Nydia Natividad — Director of Media and Communications, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD
• Christina Schneider —Asst. Director of Communications, Pflugerville ISD
• Tamra Spence — Chief Communications Officer, Pflugerville ISD

Media Contact
Annmarie Ely, Associate Director
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267.454.4686
[email protected]