Chronic Absenteeism: ‘No. 1 Problem’ in American K

Since the pandemic, K–12 schools across the country have seen a dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism.

While millions of American students missed out on in-person learning during Covid-19, the number of students back in class after the pandemic did not rebound as expected. Instead, according to the latest data, over two-thirds of students in the U.S. attended a school with 20 percent or more of its students chronically absent in 2021–2022. Both the clear identification of this issue and the enactment of a swift response should be top priorities for school districts across the nation.

About the Author

Kayla Bartsch

Kayla Bartsch is a former William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism at National Review.

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Since the pandemic, K–12 schools across the country have seen a dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism.

While millions of American students missed out on in-person learning during Covid-19, the number of students back in class after the pandemic did not rebound as expected. Instead, according to the latest data, over two-thirds of students in the U.S. attended a school with 20 percent or more of its students chronically absent in 2021–2022. Both the clear identification of this issue and the enactment of a swift response should be top priorities for school districts across the nation.