SANDPOINT — The Lake Pend Orielle School District made progress on its goals, LPOSD Assistant Superintendent Casey McLaughlin told school board earlier this month. 

McLaughlin reported on the district's goals from the previous school year at the board’s Oct. 13 meeting. 

"There's some exciting numbers, and I'm really excited to be up here because it is pretty incredible what the district is achieving," said McLaughlin. 

Increasing the number of students able to identify a trusted adult and improving attendance were key priorities for the district during the last school year. 

The percentage of students able to identify a trusted adult leaped by 6 percentage points from last year, climbing from 93.54% to 99.38%, said McLaughlin. 

When the district first started the initiative, Mclaughlin said the numbers were low, noting that the increase was a large improvement. 

"Every year, that number has gotten larger and larger, and we're really excited to see that over 99% of our students can identify," said Mclaughlin. 

LPOSD Superintendent Dr. Becky Meyer said staff building relationships with students is a significant piece of keeping schools safe. 

Whether it's due to bullying, feeling isolated, or hearing rumors of potential harm, Meyer said having one trusted adult in their life can make all the difference for a student. 

"They have really saved a lot of lives by being able to have a trusted adult to be able to say, 'Hey, I'm really concerned, I saw this text,'" said Meyer. "It's already really helped our school district over the last couple years." 

The district also has the third-lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the state, with absenteeism declining from 3.4% to 2.1% over the course of last school year. 

"That gives us a great indication of what we're doing is working. It also gives us a great indication that students feel safe at school," said McLaughlin.