The article discusses a concerning rise in chronic absenteeism among American students, which began during the Covid-19 pandemic and persisted afterward. Despite expectations of a rebound in student attendance after the pandemic, over two-thirds of U.S. students attended schools where 20 percent or more of students were chronically absent in the 2021–2022 academic year. Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10 percent or more of instructional days, includes both excused and unexcused absences. The pandemic-induced shift to remote learning and widespread school closures disrupted students’ attendance habits, contributing to the problem. Even before Covid-19, chronic absenteeism was an issue, but the pandemic exacerbated it. Nat Malkus of the American Enterprise Institute described chronic absenteeism as the top problem in education, noting that the percentage of chronically absent students nearly doubled from 2019 to 2022. Despite the easing of Covid-19 impacts, the number of chronically absent students remained high in 2023. Addressing this issue is critical for school districts nationwide.
Chronic Absenteeism the ‘No. 1 Problem’ in American K–12 Education Right Now