Board hears data showing chronic absenteeism rose after COVID, remains above pre-pandemic levels

District data presented to the Barrow County Board of Education on June 24 showed sharp increases in chronic absenteeism after the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing concerns about its academic impact.

Dr. Thompson, Strategic Information Services director, told the board that prior to 2020 roughly 16% of students in the district were chronically absent; that rate rose to about 41'44% in the 2020'1 school year and has since declined but remains elevated compared with pre-pandemic levels. Dr. Thompson said the district uses the state'codified measure of chronic absenteeism: missing at least 10% of enrolled days.

Nut graf: The district said chronic absenteeism is strongly associated with lower academic outcomes: students who missed less than 5% of enrolled days had about a 50% proficiency rate on end-of-course assessments, while students missing one-fifth of enrolled days had much lower proficiency. District staff described chronic absence as a multifaceted problem tied to poverty, special education needs and other family-level issues.

Key data and discussion: Dr. Thompson reported that in 2024'25 about one in five elementary and middle school students met the chronic-absence threshold and roughly three in 10 high school students met it. He noted Barrow County's rate remains higher than many neighboring districts and the state pre-pandemic; state-level chronic absenteeism rose post-pandemic but less sharply.

Board members asked what other systems have done to reduce truancy; Dr. Thompson said successful approaches vary and typically combine family engagement, school engagement strategies, notification systems and refined attendance protocols. He said some districts pursue local judicial remedies or magistrate-based penalties but cautioned these are heavy lifts and can risk penalizing families who need support. Several board members asked staff to research policies used by neighboring districts and report back.

Enrollment trends: Dr. Thompson also reviewed enrollment churn. He said the district averaged about 15,400 students during the year but served 16,559 unique students at some point during 2024'5, producing significant midyear churn that strains classroom operations. He linked lower-than-expected net growth this year to a decline in transfers from other public schools and slower housing sales, though April and May sales increased and staff will continue monitoring registration this summer.

Ending: The board asked staff to bring potential attendance interventions and examples from other districts to future discussions as the district writes a new strategic plan and sets measurable goals for the next five years.