Chronic absenteeism rate in Indiana schools drops again

Chronic absenteeism among Indiana students dipped last school year, the state Department of Education announced Friday, the third consecutive year of improvement.

Indiana’s chronic absenteeism rate dropped 1.1 percentage points, to 16.7%, the department said in a news release. The rate has declined 4.4 percentage points since 2022, when the rate nearly doubled to 21.1% amid the pandemic. The rate was 19.2% in 2023 and 17.8% in 2024.

“The data is clear: Regular student attendance is vital to ensuring more students master foundational literacy and numeracy skills and graduate high school prepared for their next step,” Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in the release. “As statewide chronic absenteeism rates continue to move in the right direction—improving for the third consecutive year—we know there is still more to be done. Together, we must continue to elevate the value of education and the direct link between attendance and long-term success.”

The news release said recent data indicate that many student populations who particularly struggled following the pandemic have improved more quickly than the state overall. The chronic absenteeism rate among Black students improved 1.6 percentage points, while the rate among Hispanic students improved 1.2% and the rate among students who received free or reduced-price meals improved 1.7%.

The education department defines chronic absenteeism as missing at least 10% of school days, or about three and a half weeks.

More schools also improved their absenteeism rates to below 10%. Last year nearly 800 schools had a chronic absenteeism rate of less than 10%. In 2024 the number of schools was fewer than 700. Still, 78 schools have more than 50% of students who are chronically absent, the department said.

Indiana has about 1,900 public schools.

Chronic absenteeism continues to be the highest in grades nine through 12, according to the DOE. Nearly one in three Hoosier students are chronically absent during their senior year.

Curtailing student absenteeism has been a focus among state leaders for the past couple of years.

A law passed in 2024 requires school districts to meet with parents of habitually truant students and, in some instances involving elementary school students, refer cases to the county prosecutor.

Earlier this year Gov. Mike Braun signed a bill into law that calls for more oversight of middle and high schoolers who rack up too many unexcused absences.