More than 40% of NYC public school students were chronically absent last school year

More than four in 10 New York City public school students ended last school year marked “chronically absent,” as families navigated the lingering effects of the pandemic and a COVID-19 surge that kept students home in record numbers, according to new city data.

Nearly 41% of city students were classified “chronically absent” — an attendance rate of below 90% — during the 2021-2022 school year, according to the recently released Mayor’s Management Report. That is by far the highest chronic absenteeism rate in more than two decades, and comes even after the Education Department launched a blitz to improve attendance during the second half of the last school year.

“There were so many shifting things. Last year ended up being much harder than people anticipated, and the chronic absenteeism reflects that,” said Aurora Kushner, the director of impact and continuous improvement at NYC Outward Bound Schools, an organization that partners with dozens of city public schools.

The reasons for the surge in student absences are complex. Educators said that kids were still grappling with the aftereffects of the pandemic and switch to remote learning, with many juggling additional responsibilities or facing mental health problems.

“A lot of them had responsibilities, I had students that would have to go to work right after school,” said Christian Velasco, an advocate counselor at Good Shepherd Services, who works with students at West Brooklyn Community High School, a transfer school for students who struggled in traditional high schools. “In terms of the expectation of attending after coming back from the remote year, it was tough,” he added.

But perhaps the largest contributor to the elevated absence rates was the COVID-19 case surge last December and January that prompted students to stay home in record numbers. Some educators said even after the omicron variant wave crested, it was difficult to regain the rhythm they’d established earlier in the year.

“We had students that maybe they’d get sick around December or January and we didn’t see them again until maybe February,” Velasco said.

Chronic absenteeism can make every aspect of running a school more challenging, educators say — slowing academic progress, and making it more difficult to build the sense of community and personal relationships that draw students to school in the first place.

“We couldn’t really count on who would be coming in … and when that happens it makes it harder to plan for things that build community,” Velasco said.

It remains to be seen how the attendance issues will play out this year.

So far, the rates are slightly lower than last year’s during the same period, according to the Education Department, with an average daily attendance rate of 89% over the first week and a half of school, compared with 90% last school year and 93% in the 2018-2019 school year.

Education officials say they’re starting this school year “laser-focused” on bringing down chronic absenteeism, and are hoping to keep it under 30% for the year.

“We are laser focused on addressing heightened rates of chronic absenteeism that were exacerbated locally and nationally by spikes in COVID-19 cases and the pandemic,” said Education Department spokeswoman Suzan Sumer. “Every superintendent is prioritizing this work by providing any schools and students facing attendance barriers with the supports they need to start and end the year strong. It is our ongoing priority to ensure that every single student feels safe, seen, and welcomed every day in their school buildings and communities, and engaged in their classroom learning.”

Education officials added that they’ve launched two fully remote schools, though the virtual academies will initially only be open to ninth-graders. The Education Department is also growing the number of “community schools” that partner with community-based organizations to provide additional services to families, and “canvassing” neighborhoods with high levels of chronic absenteeism to build relationships with families, an agency spokeswoman said.

Schools across the city are also taking matters into their own hands.

At West Brooklyn, educators have adjusted the intake process so families are more involved from the beginning. Outward Bound schools are doubling down on “crew” — an advisory period where students build deep relationship with staff advisers — to try to increase feelings of community and boost attendance.

“I think folks are really excited for this year,” said Kushner. “There’s a feeling of ... we’re in a much better place, we can focus on community and belonging.”