Massachusetts absenteeism edges down slightly

Massachusetts posted another small decline in student absenteeism this spring, but the state remains far from where it stood before COVID-19 disrupted school routines. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data updated May 14 showed 16.8% of students were chronically absent as of March 2026, meaning they had missed at least 10% of school days. (profiles.doe.mass.edu) That was down from 19.3% in March 2025, according to state data cited by multiple Massachusetts news outlets, but still above the roughly 13% pre-pandemic level the state has used as its baseline. (newsbreak.com) The March figures matter because they give districts an in-year read on attendance before final end-of-year totals are posted. Massachusetts defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of days enrolled for any reason, which is typically 18 days in a 180-day year. (profiles.doe.mass.edu) The state says the measure includes excused and unexcused absences alike. ### How much did absenteeism improve this year? Statewide March chronic absenteeism fell to 16.8% in 2025-26 from 19.3% a year earlier, and the share of students missing at least 20% of school days fell to 4.6% from 5.1%, according to reports on the DESE release. The improvement extended a multi-year decline from the post-pandemic peak, though it did not bring the state back to pre-2020 levels. (profiles.doe.mass.edu) End-of-year data for 2024-25, published in the state’s Education-to-Career data hub, put chronic absenteeism at 18.8%, down from 19.7% the prior year and 24.5% in March 2023. The same state data story said rates were highest in high school at 24.4% and in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten at 23.4%. (educationtocareer.data.mass.gov) ### Which students are still missing the most school? Massachusetts said Hispanic or Latino students had the highest chronic absenteeism rate in 2024-25 at 29.5%, while Asian students had the lowest at 10.9%. Students from low-income households were at 28.9%, according to the state’s revised September 2025 data story. (newsbreak.com) Grades also split sharply. Students in grades 1 through 5 had the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 13.9%, while high school students and children in pre-K and kindergarten remained the most affected groups. (educationtocareer.data.mass.gov) ### What has the state said is driving the response? Governor Maura Healey’s administration launched a “Your Presence Is Powerful” attendance campaign on Aug. 22, 2024 as part of a broader push to reduce chronic absenteeism. The administration said then that Massachusetts had improved from 24.5% in March 2023 to 19.6% in March 2024 and described absenteeism as a statewide challenge that had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. (educationtocareer.data.mass.gov) Education officials have framed the issue as broader than truancy. The state’s data hub says chronic absence counts missed school for any reason, including illness, transportation barriers and other obstacles, and says attendance affects students’ access to academic and non-academic supports. (educationtocareer.data.mass.gov) ### Where can readers check their district? DESE’s statewide attendance report, last updated May 14, 2026, publishes district-by-district figures including attendance rate, average absences, the share absent 10 or more days, and chronic absenteeism measures. The report is posted on the DESE Profiles site and links to local district entries. (mass.gov) The Education-to-Career Research and Data Hub also maintains statewide attendance charts and a chronic absenteeism data story with student-group breakdowns and historical comparisons. Those state pages were revised in September 2025 for end-of-year 2024-25 data and remain the public source for the broader trend line. (educationtocareer.data.mass.gov) May 14, 2026 is the latest update date shown on the statewide March attendance report, and DESE’s Profiles page remains the next stop for district-level changes as the school year closes. (educationtocareer.data.mass.gov) (profiles.doe.mass.edu)