Chronic Absenteeism Rates at Schools Still Way Above Pre-COVID Levels

‘Chronic absenteeism is arguably the No. 1 problem facing public schools today,’ a report says.
Chronic Absenteeism Rates at Schools Still Way Above Pre-COVID Levels
A full house at the Encinitas Union School District board meeting in San Diego County, Calif., on May 21, 2024. Sophia Fang / The Epoch Times
Aaron Gifford
Updated:
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As high school seniors across the country line up to receive their diplomas this month, public school leaders are looking ahead to continue the fight against chronic absenteeism so students can graduate on time.

The attendance problem reached a crisis level—a national average of about 31 percent in the 2021–22 academic year—when students in most states were expected to return to in-person learning after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aaron Gifford
Aaron Gifford
Author
Aaron Gifford has written for several daily newspapers, magazines, and specialty publications and also served as a federal background investigator and Medicare fraud analyst. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and is based in Upstate New York.
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