Urgent Measures Needed to Address Alarming Absenteeism in Arizona Schools
In a pressing call to action, Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, has highlighted the severe issue of chronic absenteeism plaguing public schools. Horne emphasized that “radical efforts” are necessary at the local level to address this growing concern.
Local districts and charter schools are responsible for setting absence policies, and Horne is advocating for stringent measures. He suggests policies where nine unexcused absences could lead to a student failing a course and five instances of tardiness equating to an absence.
“The idea that a third of our students are missing 18 days of school or more is a real catastrophe and an emergency for our state. We need radical efforts to solve this problem,” Horne stated. He believes that implementing such policies would motivate parents to ensure their children attend school, ultimately reducing absenteeism and enhancing academic performance.
Horne’s statements came in response to a report presented by the Helios Foundation during a State Board of Education meeting. The report revealed a dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism rates across almost all grade levels during the 2022-23 school year, with rates surging from approximately nine percent in 2019-20 to 30 percent in 2022-23.
Horne further expressed, “90 percent of my time and energy and that of the department is geared toward students getting better academic results and raising proficiency rates. You can’t do that for kids who don’t show up in school; you can’t teach a student who is not there.”
According to Arizona’s definition, chronic absence involves missing 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason, equating to 18 days in a standard 180-day school year, provided the student remains at the same school.
A full copy of the Helios report can be accessed here.
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