With IDEA enrollment at an all-time high, summer is the right moment to audit last year's record, fix consistency gaps and build real flexibility into next year's routing.

Public school classrooms are required to post the Ten Commandments, Bible verses are being injected into social studies curriculums and some school districts are required to allow students to leave campus midday to participate in Bible study.

Edward Aldarelli said the biggest transition he made when he moved up from principal to take the helm of Edison Township Public Schools was becoming the New Jersey's district "head visionary."

For schools grappling with engagement and attendance, the implication is straightforward: ask if connection is being built into the daily experience of your districts' students.