The state recently announced new data showing chronic absenteeism declined in Hoosier K-12 schools for the fourth consecutive year. All grade levels and nearly every student population showed improvement.
Students are considered chronically absent when missing at least 10%, or three-and-a-half weeks, in a school year. That includes excused absences. Last school year, 14.9% of Hoosier students were chronically absent, which is 1.8 percentage points lower than the previous school year.
The General Assembly passed a law in 2025 to address chronic absenteeism by more clearly defining it in code and having the Indiana Department of Education create a list of best practices schools could use to combat it. The law also puts more emphasis on engaging parents of chronically absent students while prioritizing intervention over punishment by prohibiting schools from expelling or suspending students just for attendance issues.
The highest chronic absenteeism rate continues to be among high school students. Starting in 2023, House Republicans led efforts to redesign Indiana's high school diploma requirements so school is more relevant to more students whether they attend college, enter the workforce or enlist in the military after graduation. That included opening the door to more apprenticeships and work-based learning experiences that count toward both high school diploma credits and job-training hours. Indiana had more than 27,000 participants in registered apprenticeship programs in the last federal fiscal year – the highest number of apprentices per capita in the country.
Our work to reduce chronic absenteeism and ensure students can get the most out of their education will continue. Click here to view attendance data for schools and corporations.
