Mississippi reports rise in chronic absenteeism for 2024-25 school year

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has published its 2024-25 Chronic Absenteeism Report, revealing that the state's chronic absenteeism rate has increased to 27.6%. This figure represents 120,408 students who missed at least 18 days of school in the last academic year, up from a rate of 24.4% in 2023-24.

Chronic absenteeism includes all absences, whether excused, unexcused, or due to suspensions, if a student misses 10% or more of the school year. The latest report indicates that about one-third of all absences were excused.

“When students are not in school, they are missing valuable instruction from their teachers and social interaction with their peers,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. “Missing 18 or more days of school has serious consequences for academic achievement and long-term success. We need families, educators and community partners to join forces to combat chronic absenteeism.”

The report notes that while absenteeism rates fell in elementary and middle schools compared to the previous year, high school rates rose from 30% to 39%. This increase among high school students contributed to the overall rise in statewide absenteeism. The data also shows that absenteeism rates differ among districts, with some areas facing higher rates than others.

To address this issue, MDE is encouraging school districts to promote regular attendance and to re-engage students who have missed significant time. The department's strategies include school attendance officers working with families, an attendance awareness campaign called Every School Day Counts – Attend to Achieve, and providing an Attendance Awareness Toolkit with resources for promoting attendance. MDE also partners with the National Dropout Prevention Center to offer professional development for district and school teams and will host a statewide conference in September 2025 focused on strategies to improve student engagement and reduce absenteeism.

MDE began tracking chronic absenteeism in 2016, with the lowest rate of 13% recorded in 2018-19. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to higher absenteeism rates both in Mississippi and across the country, with the state's rate reaching a record-high of 28% in 2021-22. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, national chronic absenteeism rose from 16% before the pandemic to nearly 30% in the 2021-22 school year.

The full 2024-25 Chronic Absenteeism Report is available at mdek12.org/publicreporting/Reports.