Since then, administrators have seen incremental improvement, but the issue is still not resolved. It’s something schools have been working on this year and initial reports have shown some improvements, though final numbers won’t be out until September with annual report cards.
Statewide, chronic absenteeism in the 2023-24 school year dropped to 25.6% from 26.8% in the 2022-2023 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. In the 2018-19 school year, the chronic absenteeism rate was 16.7%.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school hours for any reason.
As for what schools are doing, it’s much more sophisticated than the 2020-21 school year, when some schools were offering money or gift cards if students came to school. Now, schools are talking to students, families and community members to figure out ways to solve the problems that are preventing students from coming to school, said Shannon Cox, superintendent of the Montgomery County Educational Service Center.
“It goes back to really digging into why are kids absent, and finding out those reasons, and then putting supports around those reasons to help family members make sure their kids can get back to school,” Cox said.
Some commonly cited barriers to attendance are transportation, since some districts have stopped busing high school students to save money; older siblings staying home to babysit younger siblings because their parents can’t afford daycare while they work; and students just not being interested in school and choosing not to go.
What have schools been doing?
District officials have said the poor weather in January and February, as well as threats to immigrant status and a worse-than-normal flu season, boosted absenteeism rates. But they said they generally think it is not as bad as it has been in previous years.
The most commonly cited ways to help prevent chronic absenteeism from worsening included talking to parents and making school a place that students want to be. High school students have much higher chronic absenteeism rates than elementary school kids, and they’re more likely to be getting themselves to school – meaning, if they don’t want to go, they don’t have someone making them.
Some of the highest chronic absenteeism rates are in Springfield, Dayton and Northridge districts, but chronic absenteeism is still higher in suburban schools like Centerville, Kettering and Beavercreek.
“Our district works diligently to support students and families of those who are chronically absent, meeting with each family individually to provide support and establish attendance plans to meet each student’s needs,” said Beth Sizemore, spokeswoman for Beavercreek City Schools. “Social workers provide wraparound support (and) our Student Assistance Teams meet regularly to identify at-risk students and begin early interventions.”
Sizemore said Beavercreek’s data isn’t currently available for this school year. However, chronic absenteeism improved from 13.8% in 2022-23 to 12.5% in 2023-24.
Dayton’s chronic absenteeism rates have dropped slightly this school year, said David Lawrence, superintendent for Dayton Public Schools. He said improving chronic absenteeism is a priority for the district, and engaging and fun school activities and pathways to adulthood can help students want to be at school.
“When students want to be at school, an increase in the daily attendance rate naturally follows,” Lawrence said.
Danya Berry, director of Student and Family Services for DECA, a charter school located near University of Dayton, said the high school’s chronic absenteeism rate has been trending downward. Communication with families and fun activities for students have helped, she said.
“We have an attendance task force with members from each school represented along with district staff,” Berry said. “The goal of the task force is to bring attention to chronic absenteeism, before it becomes an issue.”
Valley View, a district with fewer students than Dayton, was able to significantly reduce the chronic absenteeism rate this year, said superintendent Andrea Cook. In 2023-24, chronic absenteeism for the district was at 17.8%, while in mid-April, the district had a 14.8% rate for the current school year.
“Our administrative team has given very intentional attention to this metric this school year,” Cook said.
Contests, postcards mailed to homes and direct engagement with parents helped, Cook said. She said the district planned to continue to improve the rate.
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