Missing from school means missing an education

What gets a kid to want to go to school?

That’s a core question educators still haven’t answered.

It may seem like stating the obvious, but if a student isn’t in school, he or she can’t learn what is being taught. Poor student achievement can largely be attributed to the rise in chronic absenteeism since the pandemic, and though progress has been made in recent years to improve attendance, widespread truancy remains a colossal barrier to student academic success.

Three bills in Albany could help schools improve attendance. The bills — sponsored by upstate Sens. Patricia Fahy and James Skoufis — target the growing problem. They demand serious consideration by Albany lawmakers.

One bill would create a statewide attendance dashboard, while another bill would create a coordinated state response and early warning system at the local level. The third bill would create a pilot engagement and attendance program in targeted schools.

Numerous studies conclude that chronic absenteeism — defined as missing 10% or more of school during a year — is a nationwide epidemic. In New York, 35% of students fit this definition in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Education. A Newsday news division analysis found that Long Island’s chronic absenteeism rate dropped to 17.6% for the 2023-24 school year, from 19.4% the year before. Compared to state and national figures, that’s refreshing, but still troubling. Nearly 1 in 5 Long Island students miss a full month or more of school a year, a grim statistic for a region that pays dearly for and prides itself on educational quality.

No wonder test scores are down and about 1 in 3 first-year college students needs at least one remedial class.

There are often underlying causes for a child to be chronically absent, from transportation issues to bullying to family strife, and more. Assistance from the state would help Long Island education leaders better identify those causes and formulate strategies to improve attendance.

If a school finds that most of its repeat absentee students live too close for busing, then it must get creative in providing transportation. If a school finds that many of its truant students may not be getting full meals at home, the school can provide tasty and nutritious meals to entice students into the building. Schools must help students build positive relationships with staff and peers and stop punishing kids for missing class.

The problem occurs among wealthy and poor students, both in minority communities and mostly white schools. It affects students in all grades and is an early indicator of failure. And students who are frequently absent, but not enough to be labeled so, also struggle academically. Regardless of the effectiveness of teachers or billions of dollars spent on education, students must be physically in school to learn.

So, what’s the best way to get kids to school? Whatever works. And Albany needs to do more to help Long Island students. We can no longer allow them to view school as optional.