Tupelo, Lee County chronic absentee rates higher than state average
Feb. 2—TUPELO — Mississippi reported the highest rate of chronic absenteeism recorded since the Mississippi Department of Education began calculating and reporting that data in 2016, the state announced Thursday.
Twenty-eight percent of Mississippi students were chronically absent during the 2021-22 school year, up from 20.7% the previous year.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10%, 18 days out of the 180-day school year, for any reason, which includes excused and unexcused absences and suspensions.
Rates of chronic absenteeism in the Tupelo and Lee County school districts were higher than the state average.
Roughly 36.4% of students in the Tupelo Public School District were chronically absent during the 2021-22 school year. Of 7,514 students enrolled, 2,733 were chronically absent.
The absenteeism rate was highest at Tupelo High School where 48.4%, or 1,027 of 2,123 students enrolled, were chronically absent.
Roughly 29.5% of students in the Lee County School District were chronically absent during the 2021-22 school year. Of 6,601 students enrolled, 1,945 were chronically absent.
The absenteeism rate was highest at Shannon High School, where 56.7%, or 314 of 554 students enrolled, were chronically absent.
Chronically absent students are more likely to fall behind academically and less likely to graduate from high school, MDE said.
The department said there's no easy solution for addressing chronic absenteeism. It will take the collective effort of schools, attendance officers, families and communities to address the problem.
MDE will relaunch a statewide attendance awareness campaign in June designed to challenge students and school districts to reduce individual absences to no more than five absences in a school year.
The campaign was first launched in September 2018 as part of a national movement to reduce chronic absenteeism. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mississippi's chronic absenteeism rate fell to 13% for the 2018-19 school year.
"Higher than normal chronic absenteeism numbers are not unique to Mississippi following the pandemic," Robert Taylor, state superintendent of education, said in a statement. "Now more than ever, it is imperative that MDE and all educational stakeholders develop and implement strategies to get students back in school and on track to achieve academic and career success."
