After a post-pandemic spike in the number of students who were chronically absent, the rate dipped to 15% in 2023-24, state data says. (Danielle P. Richards for New Jersey Monitor)
By SOPHIE NIETO-MUNOZ and MORGAN LEASON
Republished with permission New Jersey Monitor
After a post-pandemic spike in the number of students who are regularly missing from school in New Jersey, chronic absenteeism has dropped but remains a bigger problem than it was nearly 10 years ago, state records show.
Data from the state Department of Education shows that the chronic absenteeism rate was 15% for the 2023-24 school year, the last for which the data is available. That means more than 190,000 of the state’s roughly 1.4 million public school students missed 10% or more school days that year, including absences that were excused and unexcused and those related to disciplinary action.
The rate had reached 18% in the 2021-22 school year. For the 2016-17 school year, the figure was 10%.
The data is more alarming when broken out into demographic groups.
More than 21% of Black students statewide were chronically absent in 2023-24, or nearly 40,000 students, and the figure for Hispanic students was about 18%, or roughly 81,000 students. For Asian American students, the chronic absenteeism rate was 7%, and for white students, 11%. All those rates are up from 2016-17.
“This is an issue that takes a village. It’s not just the school’s responsibility, it’s not just the community providers or the student or the parent. It’s a problem that has to be solved with everyone, collaboratively,” said Nina Peckman, an education attorney with research and advocacy group Advocates for Children of New Jersey.
The statewide rate remains far lower than the nationwide one. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 28% of students were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.
Aida Rosario is the director of communications at Paterson Public Schools, which teaches about 24,000 students. Rosario said absenteeism rates are significantly higher for certain subgroups because these groups face unique challenges that make consistent school attendance more difficult than for other populations.
In Paterson, 36% of students were chronically absent in 2023-24, up from 13% in 2016-17. For Black students, that figure was 46%, representing about 1,600 students, and for Hispanic students, it was 35%, or about 5,200 students.
“These elevated rates are not due to lack of interest in education, but rather structural and systemic barriers outside students’ control. Addressing them requires targeted supports, wraparound services, and culturally responsive engagement strategies that recognize and respond to these challenges,” Rosario said.
Newark has the state’s largest school district, with a population of roughly 44,000 students and a chronic absenteeism rate of 12% in 2023-24. That’s down from 30% in 2016-17.
For Black students in Newark, the rate was 15% in 2023-24 and for Hispanic students, 10%.
“These encouraging numbers show that our students and families are responding to the district’s efforts to build a culture of daily attendance,” Hasani K. Council, president of the Newark Board of Education, said in a statement. “When students are present, they’re positioned for success. We will continue working to ensure that every child in Newark is supported and empowered to show up, every single day.”
Education advocates say the increase in chronic absenteeism is due to several factors, including student mental health needs and chronic illnesses. Peckman said she helps more than 300 parents a year with chronic absenteeism issues, which is an uptick from before the pandemic led to widespread school closures.
“Some parents call me when their child has missed 20, 30, 40, or more days of school, and the parents didn’t have any clue on how to advocate for their child to receive instruction or support services,” she said. “And unfortunately, in some cases, the schools aren’t communicating well with the parent regarding what they can do.”
Under state statute, after four cumulative unexcused absences for a student, the school district must reach out to the parents and develop a plan to address the issue. When unexcused absences number between five and nine days, the school should engage the student’s family, consult whether the student’s academic, behavioral, and health needs are being met, and consider an alternative placement if needed.
Peckman said that typically when parents call her and are already dealing with chronic absenteeism, they say they were not invited to meetings with teachers. Absenteeism policies can be buried deep in a school’s website, and parents aren’t best informed of their children’s rights, she said.
“When parents contact me, they are struggling to get their children to school, and they’re looking for help. That’s why they call me, because they have tried to get help, but they’re not aware of all the resources that schools can offer or what they could possibly get through the community,” Peckman said.
She also noted that districts are having trouble replacing teachers, social workers, and guidance counselors who have left, leaving staff overburdened.
“It makes sense that if there’s less adults, less staff, less support staff, that there’s less people to notice a child is having an issue or what to make of an attendance issue,” she added.
In 2016, Advocates for Children of New Jersey said in a study that more than 136,00 students statewide were chronically absent, and attributed the causes to similar problems Peckman mentioned. Black students made up about 25% of the state’s chronically absent students then, and Hispanic students made up 32%, according to the report.
Chronic absenteeism is also more likely to affect low-income children and students of color because they are at higher risk for unreliable transportation, unstable housing, school suspensions, and community violence, according to the report, which says New Jersey’s trend follows greater national trends.
In June, state lawmakers passed a bill that would establish a statewide task force aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism in schools. The measure is currently on Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk awaiting a signature or veto.
Bill sponsor Sen. Angela McKnight (D-Hudson) said in a statement that the task force would study the many overlapping challenges facing students who are chronically absent, like food insecurity and housing instability.
“This task force will dig deeper to identify the full range of barriers that prevent students from showing up and staying engaged in school. By bringing together a diverse panel of experts, we can gain a better understanding of the struggles students are facing and develop real, actionable solutions,” she said.
