AURORA, Colo. — School districts across the state are working to address low attendance rates as more K-12 students are chronically absent from school than before the pandemic, according to data from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE).
A student is considered chronically absent if they miss more than 10% of school days, whether that's excused or unexcused absences.
During the 2021-2022 school year, Colorado's K-12 chronic absence rate peaked at 35.5% as the pandemic impacted classrooms. The latest attendance data from the 2023-2024 school year shows the state's chronic absence rate has gone down to 27.7%, but it's still not at pre-pandemic levels.
CDE told Denver7 its goal is to reduce chronic absenteeism to 17.8% by the 2026-2027 school year, which is half the rate of the pandemic high.
State data shows 40.1% of Aurora Public Schools (APS) students were considered chronically absent during the 2023-2024 school year. APS Superintendent Michael Giles Jr. said the school district is working to get attendance back up by offering engaging courses.
"So, rather than just feeling like I'm coming to school to learn reading and writing every day with really no end in sight, now they can see, 'Okay, if I'm interested in this career field, it may be health pathways, it could be construction, whatever it is that's engaging, that's going to pull me to school on a daily basis,'" Giles said.
He said community counselors at each school work with students who have low attendance rates to come up with specific plans to incentivize them to come to school.
Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero said last December, the school district is working to improve its attendance by planning engaging events during times with consistently low attendance, like Fridays and the month of February.
"Communication is a powerful tool," Marrero said during a webinar with Colorado Commissioner of Education Susana Córdova. "Students and families get regular, even monthly, updates as to how many days of school the student has missed so far and whether or not that student is considered chronically absent."
CDE said since the pandemic, it continues to see parents remain overly cautious about sending their children to school when they're feeling sick. For guidance on when to keep your child home from school, click here.
