Chronic absences are way up in AZ schools. Here’s how that might be stopped

This story was updated to add new information.

After more than a year of work, a statewide task force on chronic absenteeism has released its recommendations for how Arizona schools can address high rates of student absences.

The rate of Arizona’s first- through eighth-grade students who were chronically absent — meaning they missed 10% or more of the school year, which translates to 18 days — rose significantly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Absences for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences, as well as suspensions, count toward chronic absence.