Overview:
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated long-standing inequities in American education, resulting in high rates of absenteeism and disengagement among students, particularly in low-income and minority communities. Chronic absenteeism rates have doubled since 2018, with over 14 million students nationwide missing at least 10% of school days in the 2021-22 school year. While recent data shows a slight decline in absenteeism, many states remain far above pre-pandemic levels, and public school enrollment has fallen as families seek more flexible and responsive options, such as private schooling and homeschooling.
A National Crisis Hits Home
The pandemic accelerated long-brewing inequities in American education, leaving districts nationwide struggling with absenteeism, disengagement, and declining enrollment. By the 2021–22 school year, more than 14 million studentsnationwide were chronically absent—nearly double the rate of 2018. That means missing at least 10% of school days, or 18 days a year, for any reason.
Closer to home, South Dallas schools report higher-than-average absence rates, with low-income and Black students disproportionately affected. Nationally, 36 of 42 states plus D.C. documented that at least 20% of students were chronically absent in 2022–23, a crisis still lingering into the 2024–25 school year.
Progress, But Not Enough
The most recent FutureEd absenteeism tracker shows incremental gains. Between 2022–23 and 2023–24, absenteeism fell by an average of 2.5 percentage points in most states. Nevada and New Mexico recorded the steepest drops, each reducing chronic absence by about nine percentage points.
Yet even with improvements, most states remain far above pre-pandemic levels. Before COVID-19, chronic absenteeism averaged around 15% of students. By 2023–24, many states were still reporting rates closer to 25%, with underserved communities continuing to carry the heaviest burden.
The 50,000 Missing
While absenteeism reflects students enrolled but not consistently attending, another crisis involves students who are no longer on school rolls at all. According to an AP analysis, roughly 50,000 students were unaccounted for as of fall 2022. That number had improved from 230,000 missing students in 2021, but tens of thousands remain disconnected from education altogether.
In Atlanta, parents describe burdensome re-enrollment processes requiring as many as eight separate documents—including notarized affidavits and health certificates—just to keep children in school. By comparison, New York City and Los Angeles require only about half as many documents. Families who cannot meet these requirements risk disenrollment.
In some cities where poverty, unstable housing, and limited transportation already create barriers, policies like these amplify inequities. One missed utility bill or lack of internet access can translate into months of lost learning for a child.
Shifting Away From Public Schools
Even as absenteeism declines slightly, public school enrollment remains depressed. Between fall 2019 and fall 2022, private schooling grew nearly 8%, while homeschooling surged by more than 25%. Public schools, by contrast, lost over 1 million students during that same period.
These shifts indicate not only temporary disruption but also lasting disengagement with public education. The message from families is clear: they are searching for options that feel more flexible, accessible, and responsive to their needs.
The Student Experience: Disengagement Inside Classrooms
Absenteeism is not just about logistics—it also reflects how students feel about school itself. Surveys from Ed Choice (2024) reveal that 7 out of 10 students report feeling bored in class. Disengagement has ripple effects: lower academic expectations, worsening youth mental health, and declining urgency among policymakers to invest in recovery.
For South Dallas students, this translates into classrooms where attendance may be counted, but meaningful learning is not always happening. Without stronger relationships, mental health supports, and culturally relevant teaching, students risk drifting further from education—even when present.
Lasting Consequences
Research shows that students chronically absent in early grades are four times more likely not to graduate high school. In Dallas, where Black and Latino students already graduate at lower rates than their white peers, chronic absenteeism magnifies longstanding disparities.
National data underscores this trajectory. Students absent for multiple years between preschool and second grade are much less likely to read at grade level by third grade. This milestone strongly predicts future academic success, employment, and even long-term health outcomes.
Emerging Solutions
Education leaders are testing strategies to reverse these trends. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona outlined three approaches in 2024 that remain relevant today:
- Accountability systems tied to absenteeism: More than 75% of states now use chronic absenteeism as a quality indicator in their school accountability systems, making it possible to target resources and interventions.
- Investment of remaining COVID-relief funds: Over 80% of local education agencies have invested federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds into re-engagement strategies—such as home visits, transportation supports, and expanded tutoring. Cardona urged states to accelerate use of these dollars before expiration.
- Evidence-based engagement practices: Through the Department’s Student Engagement and Attendance Center, schools are piloting multi-tiered systems of support, parent outreach campaigns, and culturally responsive approaches to rebuild connections with families.
In practice, this has meant everything from home visits in rural communities to mobile enrollment centers in urban areas like Atlanta and Dallas, designed to cut paperwork barriers. Districts are also experimenting with real-time attendance dashboards, rather than waiting for year-end reports, to flag and intervene earlier.
Toward Rebuilding Trust
Absenteeism and disengagement are not simply attendance issues; they represent a deeper erosion of trust between families and the education system. While the pandemic disrupted routines, it also revealed longstanding inequities in how schools serve low-income and minority communities.
Solutions—whether reducing bureaucratic barriers, investing in mental health supports, or redesigning accountability systems—point toward one goal: restoring school as a place where students want to be, can reliably attend, and see value in their education.
South Dallas, like communities across the country, faces the challenge of not just getting kids back in classrooms, but keeping them there meaningfully engaged. With intentional investment and evidence-based strategies, it is possible to turn the numbers around and give every student a path forward.