America's Hidden Education Crisis

Chronic absenteeism continues to be one of the most alarming trends in U.S. education. Federal data shows that 31% of students were chronically absent during the 2021–22 school year, and while the rate improved slightly to 28% in 2022–23, the number remains more than double pre-pandemic levels. Approximately 14.7 million students nationwide are missing at least 10% of the school year—time that directly affects learning, graduation rates, and long-term outcomes. States are responding in varied ways, from creating new data systems that flag attendance concerns earlier to investing in family outreach, home visits, and transportation support. Districts serving large populations of low-income families and multilingual learners continue to see the highest absence rates, revealing how health issues, unstable housing, caregiving responsibilities, and inconsistent transportation shape students’ ability to attend school consistently. Although ESSER emergency funds that supported many attendance initiatives are ending, state leaders now face a critical decision: whether to maintain these interventions and how to pay for them. The success of millions of students may depend on these choices.