Chronic absenteeism, which soared nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains above pre-pandemic levels in Monroe County, with 24% of elementary students and 32.4% of high school students missing at least ten percent of school days. The academic impact of absences is cumulative, and research shows chronic absenteeism impacts reading proficiency, test scores, graduation rates, and college enrollment. We should not accept that 1 out of 3 high school students in Monroe County is chronically absent.

The Children’s Agenda analyzed statistics for every school district in the county and surveyed Rochester high school students for two years to learn what students’ reasons were for missing school. The data show that chronic absenteeism is not a single problem with a single fix, but the product of overlapping barriers — health, transportation, school discipline, and mental health — that fall disproportionately on Rochester students and specific student subgroups.

While there is not one single solution to tackling the absenteeism crisis, there are practical things state lawmakers and communities can do to lessen barriers for students. In our research, Greece (16% relative increase, 2.2 percentage point increase) stood out for coming the closest to reducing absenteeism back to pre-pandemic norms. We cannot say definitively why this is the case, but Greece has invested heavily in the community school model, fostering greater collaboration and outreach with the community to meet student and family needs.

To read or download the full report, click here.

To read or download the executive summary, click here.