Arizona schools chief calls chronic absenteeism a 'crisis': Here's what to know
AZ officials tackling chronic student absenteeism
Recent figures show close to 30% of Arizona students are missing out on their education because they aren't in school, and FOX 10's Steve Nielsen has more on what is being done to solve the problem.
PHOENIX - During a news conference in Phoenix on March 26, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, along with Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, talked about the need to address what officials call a "truancy and chronic absenteeism crisis."
"The idea that a third of our students are missing 18 days of school or more is a real catastrophe and an emergency for our state," read a statement issued by the Arizona Department of Education.
Here's what to know about the problem with student attendance in Arizona, and what officials want to do about it.
What's truancy?
Under the relevant Arizona law, truancy is defined as an unexcused absence for at least one class period during the day, with certain exceptions.
The same law also defines a "truant child" as a person between six to 16 years of age who is "not in attendance at a public or private school during the hours that school is in session."
What is chronic absenteeism?
The American Federation of Teachers describes chronic absenteeism as missing at least 10% of days in a school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences.
What they're saying:
"For example, a student who misses as few as two days per month for each month of the school year is described as being chronically absent. In a school year, that’s 18 to 20 total missed school days," officials with the organization wrote.
Why is chronic absenteeism a problem for students?
(Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Officials with the AFT listed a number of problems associated with chronic absenteeism.
Why you should care:
On their website, officials said chronic absenteeism predicts low academic success, and it also predicts who may eventually drop out of school.
"Being chronically absent from school makes it hard for a student to keep up with the pace at which they are expected to learn and grow, causing that student to fall behind," read a portion of the website.
AFT officials also say chronic absenteeism could impact other, non-academic aspects of a person's life.
"Students who are chronically absent also miss out on opportunities to build friendships at school, become active in their school community and pursue future career interests," officials wrote.
A 2023 study that is published on the National Library of Medicine's website states that chronic absenteeism could have an impact on health.
"Extensive research has shown an unequivocal association between low educational achievement and poor social and health outcomes, including unemployment and low-paying jobs, unhealthy habits such as smoking and lack of exercise, and increased mortality and lower life expectancy," a portion of the study reads.
How big of a problem is chronic student absenteeism in Arizona?
By the numbers:
According to a report issued by the Helios Education Foundation in January 2025, the chronic absence rate in Arizona stands at 29% for the 2022-2023 school year, the most recent year when figures are available.
The report shows a big increase in Arizona's chronic absence rate since the last truly pre-pandemic school year. During the 2018-2019 school year, the chronic absence rate was 14%.
Figures show an 8% chronic absence rate for the 2019-2020 school year. The rate rose to 22% for the 2020-2021 school year, and 34% for the 2021-2022 school year.
"Compared to pre-pandemic rates for the 2018–19 school year, chronic absence rates doubled across nearly every grade level in 2022–23 and for all groups of students," a portion of the report reads.
Is the chronic absenteeism problem unique to Arizona?
According to an August 2024 article published by the Associated Press, other states are also dealing with chronic absenteeism.
Big picture view:
The article states that Arizona and 40 other U.S. states, along with Washington, D.C., are dealing with a higher rate of chronic absenteeism. Figures from a number of states were not included in the AP article because they either used a different definition of chronic absenteeism, or had missing data.
Per the numbers, the chronic absenteeism rates in Alaska and DC are both in the 40s for the 2022-2023 school year.
Why are so many students skipping school?
Per the AP article, the COVID-19 Pandemic had a negative impact on schooling, with kids having a feeling that school is overwhelming, boring or socially stressful after as much as a year at home.
"More than ever, kids and parents are deciding it’s OK to stay home, which makes catching up even harder," read a portion of the article.
What are Arizona officials proposing to solve Arizona's chronic student absenteeism problem?
In a statement, Horne said "radical efforts" are needed to solve the problem.
"I continue to urge schools to adopt measures that call for nine unexcused absences resulting in a student failing a course and five tardies counting as an absence," read a portion of the statement. "I am also asking law enforcement officers to raise their awareness about this problem and be willing to issue citations for truancy and that the courts vigorously prosecute."
Per the statement, it's illegal in Arizona for parents to "knowingly and willingly allow their children to miss school."
"Parents who fail to get their children to school are committing a misdemeanor offense and if any parents have children that refuse to attend school, those children will be dealt with at the juvenile court level," said Sheriff Sheridan.
Local perspective:
Officials with Dysart Unified School District, which serves students in the northwestern parts of the Phoenix area, say they also have local police officers go tro homes.
"That visit wakes you up, when you have an officer knocking on your door with an administrator and a principal and say ‘your kid’s not coming to school. We need to sit down and talk,'" said Dysart Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Craig Mussi.
When asked if there were any citations issued, Mussi said he is not aware of any.
What are officials in other states doing to solve the problem?
According to the AP article on student absenteeism, schools are working to identify students with slipping attendance, then providing help.
Dig deeper:
Per the article, a grant-funded program involving an Oakland, Calif. school district in the spring of 2023 paid 45 students $50 weekly for perfect attendance. Students also checked in daily with an assigned adult and completed weekly mental health assessments.
More than 60% improved their attendance after taking part in the program, according to a district official, but the same official conceded that paying students is not a permanent or sustainable fix.
The article also states that some schools now require administrators to greet and talk with students each morning, especially those with a history of missing school.
According to the AP report, educators are also working to close communication gaps with parents, who often aren’t aware their child is missing so much school or why it’s problematic.