Report Finds 35% of NYC Public School Students Chronically Absent as Attendance Crisis Deepens

Chronic absenteeism in New York City schools has surged post-pandemic, with over 300,000 students missing significant class time, linked to poor academic outcomes and state policy shifts.

A new study reveals that 34.8% of NYC public school students were chronically absent in the 2023-24 school year, up from 26.5% pre-pandemic in 2018-19.
Chronic absenteeism is most prevalent among students in temporary housing, low-income communities, and certain racial and ethnic groups, including Black and Hispanic students.
The New York State Education Department has removed chronic absenteeism as a metric for evaluating school performance, raising concerns about accountability.
Despite the state allocating $89 billion annually to education, New York students' math and reading scores remain below pre-pandemic levels, with absenteeism cited as a key factor.
Some schools and states, such as Connecticut and Rhode Island, have implemented targeted strategies to reduce absenteeism, offering potential models for improvement in New York.