WA State Ranks 9th in Students Missing School (Absenteenism)

According to a recent study by Stanford University and The Association Press, US school absenteeism rates have skyrocketed, and WA has the 9th highest rate out of 42 states surveyed, and Washington D.C.

    COVID played a role, but rates have not dropped significantly

Experts say students missing school was not a major surprise on the heels of COVID, but the rates have not begun to drop significantly since then.

The national average for each state is about 1 in four students who miss at least 10 percent of all school days. That averages out to about three full weeks. The study did take into account students who had significant illnesses or other documented issues, these figures are for students who often simply did not show up.

WA rates were at 15 percent for the 2018-2019 school year, now they're just over 30 percent of students who are chronically absent.

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The study lists a variety of reasons why, from students who struggle to get to school, to transportation, and overall feelings of school being a nuisance (coming off long periods out of class during COVID).  They also say in some cases, families do not consider school to be the same priority it once was. Some educators say they know of students who miss school because of vacations.

In WA, educators across the state are stepping up efforts to ensure students don't miss class, from phone calls and postcard reminders, to outreach efforts and activities intended to draw student's interest.  According to KUOW, some districts are still struggling in WA.

Highline School District, which serves SeaTac, Burien, DesMoines and other surrounding areas, saw absenteeism hit just over 50 percent in 2021, it has not dropped significantly since then.

The worst states besides WA include Alaska, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington D.C.  The states with the lowest rates include New Jersey, Alabama, Virginia, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Connecticut.