This article by contributor Elisa Miller-Out was originally published at American Entrepreneurship Today

Alexandra Meis and Miriam Altman are Co-founders of Kinvolved, a Brooklyn, NY-based education technology company focused on improving student attendance and academic achievement by facilitating stronger parent communication. Meis and Altman share a background in public policy and education reform through NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. With Kinvolved, the Co-founders are taking a public policy-informed approach to entrepreneurship, where technology is leveraged for social good within the context of a public sector setting like K-12 schools.

In a recent interview with this writer, Altman describes the impact that public policies around school attendance have on schools and their students. “There are a few different policies that are laid out by the State that put a money value on the number of students who are in class every day and how much funding individual schools and districts receive based on attendance. Part of what we’re doing is improving attendance, which is really essential from a social and educational perspective because we know attendance is the greatest indicator of high school graduation. From a school administrator’s perspective, in accordance with the policies that are laid out in Albany, there is a real financial reason to try to improve attendance so they can get more resources for their schools and for their students.”

The Kinvolved platform offers a web app that supports schools in recording and analyzing attendance and improving communication with families. Parents instantly receive a text message, email, or phone call if their child is absent from or late to school. Teachers also use this app to send messages home regarding behavior in class and course performance. Kinvolved’s commitment to improving social mobility through technology drives them to focus first on low-income schools.

Earlier this year, at a NY Tech Meetup attended by the Kinvolved co-founders, NY State’s Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne Haot unveiled the new NY.gov website, which is now responsive for mobile users. According to Meis, “The State’s digital roadmap is focused on providing equal opportunity and access to resources for low-income Americans. Kinvolved also uses that roadmap to navigate the building of our tech platform.”

Change agents within state government, like Chief Digital Officer Haot, are working to make technology more inclusive and accessible to more Americans. They are creating space for tech companies to work alongside institutions that are not traditionally early adopters. As we continue to see K-12 schools work with technology to bridge social and economic gaps and create accessibility, it is crucial that our public policies play a role in supporting that work.

According to the Citizens Budget Commission, an organization that describes itself as, “New York's nonprofit, non-partisan voice for efficiency in government”, the newly-enacted fiscal year 2016 state budget includes a 6% increase in annual formula-based aid to school districts. Unfortunately, only one-third of the increase is to be distributed through Foundation Aid, New York’s primary mechanism for addressing resource disparities among districts. This interactive map, found on the CBC website, shows Enacted School Aid Per Pupil at the individual school district level.

This increase in state funding for schools signals an important time for education reform, especially in the context of bringing technology into K-12 institutions. A primary focus here needs to stay on ensuring that all students, and especially disadvantaged students, have access to technology resources. Entrepreneurs like Alex Meis and Miriam Altman of Kinvolved have recognized the opportunity to work with schools as they open up to bringing technology into the classroom. As schools continue to use technology to improve attendance, ideally the schools will see improved state funding as well. With increased funding, schools can offer students a better education, including giving them access to technology that they might not otherwise have.