Chronic absenteeism continues

brown wooden table and chairs

Despite dip, chronic absenteeism remains stubbornly high at 28%

Attendance Works recommends student engagement and decision making based on data analysis to boost attendance.

Attendance Works defines chronic absenteeism as when a student misses 10% or more of school days over a school year — or about 18 days — due to absence for any reason, including those that are excused, unexcused and suspensions. 

The 28% chronic absenteeism rate for the 2022-23 school year — when calculated by the average-sized school — means there were at least 88 chronically absent students in each elementary school, 113 in each middle school, and 139 students in each high school. 

By comparison, the chronic absenteeism rate prior to COVID-19 in 2018-19 was 16.2%.

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