In a typical week at Edinburg North High School in South Texas, Delaila Constante makes over a dozen calls to parents of students who frequently miss classes. This effort ramped up significantly last October when she was making between 50 and 60 calls each week. As a parental involvement assistant, her role focuses on reaching out to families of students with high absenteeism, regardless of whether those absences are excused. Many parents share with her the day-to-day struggles of their families, including medical issues and financial hardships, such as a lack of running water or having enough food to eat.
Constante took on her role in 2022 amid rising absenteeism rates, a lingering effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. This ongoing issue has alarmed Texas education leaders and experts, who warn that frequent absences can diminish a student’s learning experience and increase the likelihood of dropping out. She notes that missing even a couple of days can place students at a disadvantage, forcing them to engage in a continuous struggle to catch up with their classmates.
With state funding tied to average attendance rates, increased absences can lead to significant financial repercussions for school districts. To combat chronic absenteeism, many Texas schools have initiated various strategies, such as partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations. Nevertheless, school leaders emphasize the necessity for state support to enhance awareness and mitigate the rates of absenteeism.
A student is classified as chronically absent if they miss at least 10% of school days for any reason, whether or not the absences are excused. After the peak of the pandemic, around one in five Texas students were chronic absentees during the 2022-23 academic year, almost twice the rate from the 2018-19 school year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. This rise in chronic absenteeism is also echoed on a national scale.
Education leaders attribute the increased rates of chronic absenteeism to changing family habits regarding school attendance. Many parents now exhibit heightened skepticism about sending their children to school, particularly when the students show minor illness symptoms. This perspective shift can have serious implications for students’ academic performance and mental health, as emphasized by Sharon Vigil, CEO of Communities In Schools of Central Texas. She highlights that students who are frequently absent miss out on forming vital relationships and social skills that are developed in a classroom setting.
Chronic absenteeism poses serious risks: a student absent for a single year between eighth grade and high school graduation is seven times more likely to drop out than those who regularly attend school, according to findings from the U.S. Department of Education. Furthermore, lack of attendance can limit a student’s access to crucial mental health resources. Statistically, economically disadvantaged students and those in special education programs are disproportionately affected by chronic absenteeism, a trend that existed prior to the pandemic as well.
Jonathan Feinstein, state director for The Education Trust in Texas, explains that multiple factors contribute to the likelihood of economically disadvantaged students missing school, including logistical challenges such as transportation and at-home responsibilities. Additionally, students in special education may feel that their educational needs are not adequately addressed, which can diminish their motivation to attend.
Eduardo Hernández, superintendent of the Edgewood Independent School District, notes that surging inflation rates have adversely affected student attendance. The district reported a staggering chronic absenteeism rate of 53.6% for the academic year 2022-23, the highest in Texas. Hernández attributes these high rates to economic struggles that prevent families from accessing basic necessities such as food and healthcare, which, in turn, impacts students’ ability to attend school.
To counteract these trends, Hernández’s district is actively connecting families with city services while promoting conversations about the significance of student attendance within the community. Edgewood ISD has introduced “Pláticas,” informal community discussions emphasizing the importance of students being present in school. In these meetings, he draws connections between school attendance and district funding.
Hernández argues for a reevaluation of state funding methodologies, advocating for enrollment-based funding rather than average daily attendance. This would alleviate some financial strain on districts with higher absenteeism rates, which lose funding for classroom resources and extracurricular programs due to lower student attendance. Educators argue for a stable funding base to support educational environments effectively.
Mario Salinas, superintendent of Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, also addresses the impact of chronic absenteeism on funding. His district loses roughly $7 million annually for each 5% decline in attendance. While the absenteeism rate for the district was around 28.1% for the 2022-23 school year—a figure that still exceeded the state average—it showed improvement compared to the previous year’s 40% rate.
To further encourage attendance, Salinas has instructed extracurricular advisors to enforce attendance requirements for participation in activities. The district has also appointed an attendance supervisor, Elias Lozano, to target engagement with chronically absent students more effectively. Reports indicate a noteworthy dip in the absenteeism rate for the 2023-24 academic year, suggesting that these strategies are yielding positive results.
In addition to internal measures, some districts are collaborating with community organizations to address absenteeism comprehensively. Manor ISD, near Austin, has initiated a partnership with local businesses to identify absent students and return them to school. Superintendent Robert Sormani describes this initiative, dubbed “Operation Condor,” as notably successful, though absenteeism remains an ongoing challenge with one-third of students chronically absent during the last school year.
With a new legislative session underway, Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, is advocating for increased legislative attention toward chronic absenteeism. She has introduced a bill that would categorize chronically absent students as “at risk of dropping out” and officially define chronic absenteeism in Texas law. Past legislative attempts have fallen short, but growing awareness of the issue could lead to better outcomes this time.
Mandi Kimball, chief government affairs officer at Children at Risk, emphasizes that misunderstanding chronic absenteeism’s ramifications has hindered previous efforts for legislative change. However, with more legislators now informed about the issue, there is hope for progress. González’s bill seeks to establish more rigorous data tracking on absenteeism trends, with an eye toward policy measures that bolster support for affected students.
Despite the amplified focus on chronic absenteeism, school leaders contend that rectifying this challenge calls for heightened cooperation and resources from both educational institutions and community stakeholders. Hernández stresses the collective responsibility in shaping students’ futures, advocating for a united approach from all sectors of society to underscore the importance of regular school attendance.
