During a recent meeting, officials from the Washoe County School District provided an update on chronic absenteeism rates, revealing a current rate of 23.17% and an average daily attendance of 92%. Rochelle Mariel, the staff liaison for the Student Attendance Advisory Council, presented a snapshot of the data as the school year nears its end, with final rates expected to be reported at the next meeting.

The data highlighted significant disparities among different student demographics. Pacific Islander and American Indian students were identified as the most chronically absent, while African American students exhibited the highest rates of severe absenteeism. The presentation emphasized that chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of enrolled school days, with additional categories indicating students approaching chronic absenteeism.

Particularly concerning was the data on homeless students, who were reported as the most severely chronically absent group. The presentation also noted that absenteeism rates tend to increase as students progress through grades, with 25% of seniors classified as severely chronically absent.

Mariel underscored the implications of chronic absenteeism on graduation rates, citing research that links early absenteeism in kindergarten to continued absenteeism in later grades, ultimately increasing the likelihood of dropping out due to significant academic gaps. The district is actively working to address these issues through family-school partnerships and targeted interventions aimed at establishing healthy attendance patterns from an early age.