Gallego Calls for Action on Chronic Absenteeism

Gallego Calls for Action on Chronic Absenteeism

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03)sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona calling on the Department to do more to address the issue of chronic absenteeism.

A student is typically considered chronically absent if they are absent from school for more than ten percent of school days by the end of the year. In Arizona, the percentage of chronically absent students was 28 percent in the most recent year on record, more than double the rate of the school year before the pandemic.

Impacts of chronic absenteeism include a dramatically increased likelihood of dropping out of high school, an increase in missed early learning milestones, and an increased risk of poverty, diminished health, and involvement with the criminal justice system.

"The alarmingly high rates of chronic absenteeism around the country necessitate urgent action from the federal government. In the absence of comprehensive action, our nation risks leaving an entire generation of students behind," Rep. Gallego writes.

To address this trend, Rep. Gallego requested answers to the following questions:

• What resources exist for states and local authorities to receive federal assistance to combat chronic absenteeism?

• What resources can Congress provide to ease the burden on thinly stretched state and local budgets?

• What coordination exists between the Department of Education and local governments to monitor and combat chronic absenteeism?

• Which chronic absenteeism-related interventions does the Department suggest Congress prioritize supporting?

Full text of the letter can be found HERE.