Alarming Absence Rates: Students' Chronic Absenteeism Plagues Public Schools

A new report reveals that two-thirds of American students attended schools with high levels of chronic absence in the 2021-2022 school year, a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels. The data shows that nearly 14.7 million students were chronically absent, missing 10% or more of regular school sessions. This chronic absenteeism has had a detrimental impact on student academic scores, with math scores reaching their lowest rate since 1990 and reading scores at their lowest since 2004. Additionally, teacher shortages continue to plague school districts, with 44% of public schools reporting full- or part-time teacher vacancies, many of which are attributed to the pandemic.