According to data released by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, more than one in eight K-12 students are “chronically absent” from school. That’s more than 6.5 million students who miss 15 or more school days a year.
Chronic absenteeism is more common in high school: Roughly one in 5.5 students, versus one in nine for elementary students.
The absenteeism problem is more severe among minority students. Roughly one in five English language learner, black, multiracial or Latino high students are chronically absent.
In elementary school, American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander students are twice as likely as white students to be chronically absent. Black students are roughly 1.5 times more likely to be chronically absent as white students, as are students with disabilities compared to students without disabilities.
The Office for Civil Rights report suggests chronically absent teachers might be part of the problem. “Black students represent 15 percent of all students, but 21 percent of chronically absent students who attend schools where more than 50 percent of teachers were absent for more than 10 days,” it says.
The new data are from the 2013-14 school year.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
