Nearly five years after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 20% of students are still chronically absent, meaning they miss 10% or nearly a month of school. Data from 31 states for the 2024-25 school year show that overall rates of chronic absence have improved nationwide. Yet it is still higher than prior to the pandemic. Absenteeism remains a major educational challenge that is undermining student achievement and well-being. The report cited a study by Policy Analysis for California Education, which Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center said found that high and extreme levels of chronic absenteeism persisted and “barely decreased” in schools statewide that have a large majority of socio-economically disadvantaged students.  These latest findings come as schools continue to find ways to recover from the surge in student absenteeism during the pandemic. In 2024, Attendance Works, EdTrust and the American Enterprise Institute called on all states to commit to reducing their chronic absenteeism by 50% over five years.   Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center stressed in their new report that solutions for curbing chronic absenteeism require leaning on the support of community partners through a “comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying barriers to getting to school.”