Charlottesville schools report rise in chronic absenteeism; staff outline interventions and state reporting rules

Charlottesville City Schools staff presented an attendance-process update and told the board chronic absenteeism is higher than pre-pandemic levels, with cumulative missed instruction identified as the chief concern.

"All attendance, all absenteeism matters because missed instruction is cumulative," the staff presenter told the board, explaining that the division reports chronic absenteeism to the state and that the state’s changing accreditation model now places absenteeism in the readiness category.

Key points from the presentation: - Chronic absenteeism threshold: staff said a student is considered chronically absent when absences reach 10 percent of the school year; the absolute number of days that corresponds to changes as the year progresses (for example, "if you've missed 2 days in the first month of school, you're chronically absent," staff said). Excused absences count toward chronic absenteeism even when they are excused. - State requirements for response: unexcused absences trigger progressively intensive responses under state rules — a required attendance conference after five unexcused absences, consideration of a referral to a…