For some children being absent involves a continued struggle with the effects of COVID-related school closures; for others it can be mental health or substance abuse issues. Transportation can also be a problem for some families, and in other cases, stressed-out parents approve of older kids staying home to care for younger siblings.
Some of the efforts to get kids back in the classroom involve reaching out and building better relationships. One such program is the Check and Connect strategy that matches students with adult mentors. Anoka-Hennepin Superintendent Cory McIntyre told the Minnesota Star Tribune that about 70% of students who participated in that program have improved their attendance.
“This is still a challenge and it’s still something we have to do a lot better at,” McIntyre said. “We have a lot of hope [that attendance will improve] if we can just really double down and try to get as many students involved as we can.”
Some districts are hiring social workers or designated staff to reach out to missing students. That personal contact matters. In addition, about a dozen school districts across Minnesota meet monthly as part of pilot program to share ideas on boosting attendance. The Legislature has also created a work group to remain tightly focused on the issue.
Minnesota is not alone in the ongoing battle against chronic student absenteeism, which is occurring across the country. According to data collected by the Associated Press and Stanford University educational economist Thomas Dee, about 25% of students — roughly 12 million children — were chronically absent during the 2022-2023 year in 42 states and Washington, D.C.
Some schools have leaned into creativity to get kids back into school. A Fresno, Calif., middle school, for example, bought a washer and dryer for families and an additional school vehicle. Why? Two reasons children routinely offered to officials for missing class were dirty laundry and limited transportation. In Oakland, district leaders went a step further and used private grant funds to pay students a small weekly stipend for perfect attendance.
