LYNN — Since July, Geanni Byrd has been serving as interim attendance supervisor for Lynn Public Schools.
On Thursday night, the School Committee voted unanimously to officially name Byrd supervisor of attendance.
“Geanni possesses a unique blend of skills, experience, and qualities that make her an ideal candidate for this crucial position,” Superintendent Evonne Alvarez said while nominating Byrd at the meeting on Thursday.
Byrd grew up in Lynn, attended Lynn Public Schools, and has worked for the district for the past nine years.
She believes that gives her a unique perspective to handle the position.
“I was a Lynn kid; I am a Lynn kid; I was a Lynn Public School student,” Byrd said. “I think it’s important for the students to see someone who represents them coming up through the ranks and doing what they can to help our students and to let our students know that anything is possible as long as you work hard and you put your best foot forward.”
She explained that absenteeism is a byproduct of other issues a student may be facing.
“My biggest thing is that not coming to school is more than just not coming to school,” she said. “There’s always something other than that, whether it’s social/emotional well-being or homelessness, which we’ve seen a lot. There are so many other factors into a kid not coming to school.”
To address those issues, Byrd wants to focus on parent education and family engagement.
“One of the things I emphasized in my interviews was making sure there are open houses and night backs where the schools are open to be there and be present so these families can put a face to a name in terms of attendance and just let them know that we’re always there if they need to call us to come do a truancy visit or just to come and have a meeting about their child’s attendance,” she said. “It’s more than just picking up the phone. It’s really engaging with the families and kind of breaking that barrier.”
She added that education and knowledge about the importance of school and how school impacts students’ social and emotional well-being and their education in general are key to breaking that barrier.
Byrd noted that a particular focus is on kindergarten students.
“When a kid is chronically absent as a kindergartener, that’s a pretty good indicator that they will become a chronically absent student throughout their time with us at Lynn Public Schools,” she said.
Byrd earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern New Hampshire University and is completing her master’s degree in licensed clinical mental health counseling from SNHU.
She started with the district nine years ago as a clerk.
She became a case manager in the Attendance Department in July 2022 and was named interim supervisor of attendance in July 2023.
“Her dedication to promoting regular attendance and her ability to foster a collaborative and supportive atmosphere make her an excellent fit for this vital role,” Alvarez said.
