New York’s State Education Department (SED) has come under criticism for its handling of rising truancy rates following the pandemic. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli reported that nearly a third of students in New York are chronically absent, with the K-12 absenteeism rate reaching 29.1% in the 2022-23 school year. High school students are particularly affected, with a rate of 34.1%. In New York City, the rate for Fiscal Year 2024 was 34.8%.
