Lawmakers announce bills to combat absenteeism in schools
Originally published in
Mid Hudson News
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ALBANY – State Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall) and State Senator Patricia Fahy (D, Albany) this week announced the introduction of three pieces of legislation aimed at combatting chronic absenteeism in schools.
One would establish a statewide student attendance and absenteeism dashboard, another would create attendance review teams with a coordinated state response, and the final part would start a pilot learner engagement and attendance program in certain school districts.
“Chronic absenteeism is a crisis with long-term consequences for students and communities, one that has severely worsened since the pandemic,” Skoufis said. “Taking a data-driven, comprehensive approach, schools and districts will get the support they need from our legislation to ensure every New York student has the chance to fulfill their potential.”
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days in an academic year, and at least 14.7 million students were chronically absent nationwide during the 2020-21 school year. In the 2022-23 school year, roughly one in three students in the state missed at least 10% of school days.
According to studies, children who are chronically absent between preschool and second grade are far less likely to read on grade level by third grade. Other states, such as Connecticut, have successfully used legislation to address the problem.
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