State data show chronic absenteeism spiked after pandemic and remains above pre‑COVID levels

The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) presented longitudinal attendance data showing chronic absenteeism in Georgia rose sharply after pandemic‑era disruptions and remains elevated compared with pre‑COVID baselines.

Doctor M.J. Kim, Director of Policy Research and Evaluation at GOSA, told the committee she used 2018–19 as a pre‑pandemic baseline, noted 2020–21 data are disrupted by reporting interruptions, and reported chronic absenteeism rose from about 15.1% pre‑pandemic to 28.5% in 2022, then declined to 25.4% in 2023 and 23.5% in 2024. Kim said every Southern state saw at least a six‑point increase and Georgia experienced a 9.9 percentage‑point rise.

Kim presented subgroup analysis showing Black and Hispanic students have higher absolute chronic‑absence rates and that the pandemic widened existing gaps; economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities have higher rates as well. She said that while proportional increases were sometimes largest among groups that started from lower baselines (for example, Asian students), the highest absolute burdens remain with Black, Hispanic, economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities.

GOSA’s analysis also showed a strong negative correlation between school‑level chronic‑absence rates and proficiency in English language arts and mathematics for the 2023–24 year: higher absenteeism was consistently associated with lower ELA and math proficiency across racial, economic and disability subgroups.

Kim stressed the policy implication that reducing absenteeism requires both universal supports and targeted interventions for high‑burden students and schools and encouraged the committee to use both statewide dashboards and local heat maps when prioritizing assistance.