Nearly 30 percent of North Thurston students are chronically absent. What’s the solution?

Chronic absenteeism at K-12 schools in Washington state was relatively low before COVID-19. But immediately after that disruptive pandemic, those numbers spiked and still remain high across the state, including at Thurston County schools, according to local and state data.

A chronically absent student is defined as someone missing at least 10 percent, or 18 days, of the 180-day school year.

The topic was raised by principals at all grade levels in the Lacey area, who made school improvement presentations to the North Thurston Public Schools board in early November. The agenda materials included eye-opening chronic absenteeism data that showed percentage figures well into double digits.

Nearly 40 percent of students at Chambers Prairie Elementary in southeast Lacey were chronically absent, according to 2022-23 school data.

However, North Thurston, the county’s largest school district with nearly 15,000 students, is not unique in this matter: Chronic absenteeism across the state was roughly 30% for the 2022-23 school year — the most recent data available — which was twice what it was before the pandemic, or about 15%, according to the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

North Thurston and Olympia School District, the second largest school district in the county with 10,000 students, have seen a similar rise and fall. Tumwater schools data was not immediately available.

Before the pandemic, North Thurston’s chronic absentee rate was around 12%. It then spiked to more than 30% after it and was at 28% during the first quarter of the 2023-24 school year, said Kirsten Rue, director of student achievement, adding that it was trending in the right direction.

Because the percentage is falling, Rue said she is not alarmed about it.

Olympia watched its chronic absentee rate rise from around 11% to 30% to 19% over roughly the same period, according to data compiled by spokeswoman Susan Gifford.

Why is it still so high?

North Thurston’s Rue said there are multiple factors contributing to chronic absenteeism.

Some parents are more cognizant of keeping their child at home if they are sick. Taking a “mental health day” is now a recognized absence. The district also has had some transportation issues, although the district works hard to overcome them, she said.

And the district has about 800 students who are considered homeless, a barrier in itself to regularly attending school.

Other possible factors, according to The Associated Press, which reported on chronic absenteeism in August: anxiety, depression, bullying and generally feeling unwelcome at school.

North Thurston frequently reminds parents about the importance of attendance, including not to take time off before or after school holidays and vacations.

For example, following winter break, North Thurston resumed school on Jan. 3, a Wednesday. Some students, given that it was a short week, returned to school on Jan. 8, the following Monday.

Chinook Middle School sent this reminder to parents in mid-December.

“We appreciate everyone’s efforts to avoid taking extra time off during the winter break,” Principal Sarah Shaw said in her email. “As long as your child is healthy, please encourage showing up to class when school is in session. Every day of school is an important opportunity for students to learn as well as to connect to their peers and teachers.”

Chinook made a similar announcement about attendance before the long Thanksgiving weekend.

“Daily routines are essential for reducing stress and creating a sense of security,” Shaw wrote in her email.

Rue added that attending school is not just about instruction, but also about the importance of social interactions and learning to work with others, she said.

How to help?

One step to addressing chronic absenteeism, particularly for the youngest students, is to have teachers greet them warmly at the door and welcome them to class every day, Rue said.

The school board learned of this approach at its early November meeting, said board president Gretchen Maliska.

“One strategy is a commitment to greet every student by name at the beginning of the day (elementary) or beginning of a class period (secondary),” she said in an email. “This small but important commitment helps our students know that they are seen, are welcomed, and are important. This spring our board will receive an update from each school principal on this topic and other school improvement goals.”

Although Tumwater’s chronic absentee data wasn’t immediately available, spokeswoman Laurie Wiedenmeyer shared some district strategies for improving attendance. They include contacting parents/guardians to identify barriers that are contributing to absences, and implementing strategies at schools that promote a sense of belonging and foster an inclusive culture.

State steps in

Chronic absenteeism also has the attention of state lawmakers.

Sen. John Braun, a Republican from Centralia, has introduced Senate Bill 5850, which is aimed at getting chronically absent students to re-engage with classes and resume a path to graduation, his office announced in a news release.

Among its goals: It requires Washington’s nine educational service districts to develop and maintain the capacity to offer training and coaching for educators and other school district staff on the development of early-warning systems to identify and locate students who are chronically absent and connect them with necessary supports, subject to appropriations.

It also would direct OSPI to establish a grant program for community-based organizations and tribes to support students who are chronically absent.

Braun talked about the bill at a recent online legislative preview hosted by McClatchy, The Olympian’s parent company.

The bill, he said, was the result of a pilot study undertaken by Educational Service District 112 that serves several counties in Southwest Washington. Thurston County is served by ESD 113.

It’s not a new concern, he said. Chronic absenteeism was on his radar before the pandemic, but the pandemic made it so much worse.

“If you want to focus on student learning loss, the very first thing to do is to make sure they are in the classroom,” he said.

Braun said he has looked into the problem of chronic absenteeism, saying that in some cases, students are not in class, but are wandering school hallways, calling them “hall rovers.”

Braun added that it’s a simple bill, it’s not controversial and he expects bipartisan support for it.

Sen. Andy Billig, a Democrat from Spokane who also participated in the legislative preview, agreed that it seems like there is common ground in the bill in terms of addressing absenteeism and learning loss.

“I don’t think these are partisan issues,” he said.