More than a quarter of Colorado students were chronically absent from school last year

More than 1 in 4 Colorado students missed more than 10% of school during the last school year, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Education.

The findings — which point to close to 270,000 students being chronically absent during the school year — are a worrisome trend for state education officials and teachers, particularly as students largely continue to trail behind in academic performance coming out of the height of the pandemic.

“Every day a student is in school is an opportunity for them to learn, build relationships and access support,” Susana Córdova, Colorado’s education commissioner, said in a statement. “We know districts are working hard to ensure students attend school regularly. But we need everyone, including educators, parents, students and community members, to make a renewed effort on this important matter.”

The rate of chronic absenteeism across Colorado schools last year was 31%. A student is marked chronically absent when they miss 10% or more of the school year, according to the state education department.

That rate is a step in the right direction from the 2021-22 school year, when a record 36% of students were chronically absent. Still, it far exceeds rates of chronic absenteeism before COVID-19, which ranged from 18% to 24%, according to state data.

“The surest way to make improvements in our recovery from the disruptions of the pandemic is for kids to be in school,” Córdova said.

One bright spot: Most of the state’s school districts had better attendance rates last year than during the 2021-22 school year, with 124 of Colorado’s 185 school districts improving in attendance.

This is a developing story that will be updated.