Biden Marks Start of School Year as Millions of Students Chronically Absent Nationwide

President Biden and the First Lady visit a Washington middle school, as schools across the country deal with higher chronic absenteeism

President Joe Biden speaks with students as he and First Lady Jill Biden welcome students back to school while visiting Eliot-Hine Middle School in Washington, on Aug. 28, 2023. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden paid a visit to a school in the nation’s capital on Aug. 28 to mark the start of the school year.

Many schools across the country have seen an increase in chronic student absenteeism since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Washington among the hardest hit. A new study found that millions of U.S. students were chronically absent last year, missing at least 10 percent of the school year.