Chronic absenteeism surged to unprecedented levels at schools across America during the coronavirus pandemic and remains at disturbingly high levels even now.
The Department of Education (DoE) defines chronic absenteeism as students missing 10 percent or more of school per year.
Chronic absenteeism skyrocketed to 31 percent in the 2021-2022 academic year but even four years later, students are still missing class at unprecedented rates.
Absenteeism has dropped to 19.3 percent but student absences are ‘more common’ and ‘more extreme’ following the pandemic, a study by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has found.
The latest data, which includes figures through March of 2025, shows absenteeism rates still remain 50 percent higher than before covid.
Absenteeism declined 0.3 points since last year, but experts warn that at the current rate it will take at least two decades for student absence rates to return to pre-pandemic levels.
Educators are trying to incentivize students to come to school, with some districts even paying students for their attendance.
