Wisconsin Continues to See Chronic Absenteeism

Friday, October 25th, 2024 -- 10:00 AM

(Nadia Scharf, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin) If a student misses school twice a month, starting in kindergarten, they’ve missed about a year of school by the time they graduate.

According to Nadia Scharf with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, missing 10 or more days each year in kindergarten and first grade can halve a student’s ability to read proficiently, and that pattern has been found to persist through high school, according to Attendance Works.

Chronic absenteeism, where students miss more than 10% of school days, is on the rise. Since 2014, the number of chronically absent students has nearly doubled statewide, according to 2022-23 state attendance data.

That’s largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when absenteeism first spiked. But that number has increased even since then. A recent report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that 19.5% of K-12 students in the state were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.

The pandemic “weakened the culture of attendance,” according to conservative-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute. Students got out of the routine of going to school, and online learning weakened students’ academic understanding, sense of connection to teachers and “made the consequences of missing school seem less consequential.”

In 2023, 16 districts had at least 30% of their students qualify as chronically absent, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Previously existing causes of absenteeism persist beyond the pandemic.

For example, students may have to watch younger siblings while parents work because they can’t afford childcare, or they might not be able to get to school if they miss the bus.

Mental health also plays a major role, especially post-pandemic. Studies show that the pandemic, in particular, increased anxiety, social anxiety and depression for many students.

This can cause what’s called “school refusal,” where students avoid what they see as an unpleasant or even hostile environment. That’s why Wisconsin schools are trying new ways to make kids feel welcome and help them understand that they’re gaining something from being at school.

For some students, that’s forming relationships. For others, it’s targeting specific needs that make it harder to attend.

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