The findings span the early weeks of the second Trump administration. Since that time, immigration enforcement has escalated dramatically, particularly in Democratic cities targeted by the president, including and . 

Schools became fair game days into the new administration when it against enforcement actions near or on-site. Hospitals and churches, too, are no longer exempt from raids.

Earlier this month, a day care teacher in Chicago was dragged out of her preschool by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and their families. A federal judge ruled her and she has since been . 

The incident, caught on camera and made public, has drawn widespread condemnation. 

鈥淪chools should be safe environments for children to learn, for their brains to develop and for them to form secure attachments,鈥� said Melissa Boteach, chief policy officer at , an early childhood advocacy group.  

Boteach noted, too, 20% of the early educator workforce are immigrants and while a vast majority have legal status, their families and communities might not. 

鈥淚f they are fearful and anxious, they are bringing that fear and anxiety with them,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd now you don鈥檛 know when enforcement will strike and that can be incredibly traumatic even if the child is a U.S. citizen.鈥�

Many high school students, including in , have already been held or deported. 

The 113,000 children in the Stanford study 鈥� they attended Bakersfield City Elementary, Fresno Unified, Kerman Unified, Southern Kern Unified and Tehachapi Unified school districts 鈥� lost more than 81,000 days of instruction in the two months following the January raids, which lasted three days and targeted agriculture workers. 

None of the Central Valley schools returned calls or emails last week requesting comment. 

Thomas S. Dee, a professor at Stanford鈥檚 Graduate School of Education, examined daily attendance data, which helped him pinpoint a falloff he attributes to harsh immigration tactics.

鈥淭hat really allowed me to identify how things changed when the raids began,鈥� he said. 鈥淪omething very distinctive occurred.鈥�

Dee examined data from August through May in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years and from August 2024 through February of this year. He said he was surprised by the magnitude of the impact the raids had on attendance.

Forceful immigration tactics, pandemic-related learning loss and mental health issues combine to exhaust students and families to the point that kids stay home from school, he said.

鈥淚 see this increase in absences as an indicator of ways in which we are exacerbating all of those problems,鈥� Dee said. 鈥淎ggressive interior immigration enforcement drives families with school-age children away.鈥�

Just this week, student absences in Charlotte, North Carolina, two days after federal immigration agents swept into the city, arresting 130 people. The Charlotte-Mecklenberg School District Monday. 

Adam Strom, co-founder and executive director of Re-Imagining Migration, said the relationship between schools and families is based on good faith. Immigration enforcement, a powerful disruptor, can be catastrophic.  

“Schools ask immigrant families for profound trust 鈥� trust with their children, their personal information, their futures,鈥� Strom said. 鈥淲hen ICE raids their communities, families respond by withdrawing from public institutions out of caution 鈥� a protective instinct that’s entirely rational. The attendance data tells us exactly what happens when institutions meant to build belonging become sources of fear instead.鈥�

And, he said, that anxiety extends well beyond families with undocumented members.

鈥淲hen people with legal status, and even citizens, are being detained based on how they look and speak, every immigrant family regardless of documentation worries about whether their children will be safe on the way to and from school,鈥� he said. 

Immigration agents have swept up , including children, holding some detainees for days. Dee said aggressive immigration tactics not only hurt kids, but schools themselves as they are funded based on attendance. 

As to why absenteeism holds steady even weeks after a raid, he said the impact of such enforcement actions linger. Some families become shut-ins. Others might move away in search of safety. 

He said, too, the 81,000 missed days of instruction shoots up to 725,000 when applied to the entire four-county region. 

Some fuel California鈥檚 agricultural industry. Reports show roughly half have citizenship or other work authorization. California is home to nearly : Roughly 112,000 between the ages of 5 and 18 are enrolled in the state鈥檚 schools. 

Dubbed 鈥淥peration Return to Sender,鈥� the Central Valley raids, conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, began January 7, 2025, during the tail end of the Biden era 鈥� and the day after the 2024 presidential election was certified by Congress. 

Three former Biden aides said the man who led the effort, Gregory Bovino, and conducted the Central Valley action 鈥� hundreds of miles from the U.S. border 鈥� without the permission of higher-ups. While border patrol officials said they were targeting only criminals, subsequent investigations found that they of 77 of the 78 people arrested during the sweep. 

The American Civil Liberties Union and U.S. Border Patrol officials in February for these enforcement actions, which it deemed a 鈥渇ishing expedition.鈥� Bovino has since led other controversial immigration operations, including those in and the one . Reports this week say enforcement target.

Dee said kids in early grades were more likely to miss school than their older peers because those living with undocumented immigrants tend to be younger and families with small children might be more fearful of deportation.

Kathy Mulrooney, director of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Strategy Program at , said young children also suffer a particular cognitive trauma when the adults around them are detained. 

鈥淓ven if babies don鈥檛 have the words for what鈥檚 happening, their bodies feel the fear,鈥� she said. 

When a parent is suddenly taken, Mulrooney said, or when a community is shaken by aggressive immigration tactics, students are left with little ability to feel the type of safety and curiosity they need to learn.

鈥淪imply put, when a child鈥檚 brain is in survival mode, learning takes a back seat,鈥� she said. 

COLUMBIA 鈥� It鈥檚 probably not surprising that students who are chronically absent from class tend to perform poorly on end-of-year tests. It鈥檚 the extent of the problem in South Carolina that seemed to stun lawmakers.

An analysis found that 1 of every 5 South Carolina students missed at least 10% of their school days during the 2022-23 school year, according to a presentation Monday to the Education Oversight Committee, an independent oversight group that evaluates K-12 achievement.

鈥淥ne out of five? That鈥檚 a lot of kids,鈥� said Rep. Terry Alexander, D-Florence, who鈥檚 among legislators on the committee. He repeated himself, drawing out one word for emphasis: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot of kids.鈥�

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Among those chronically absent students, fewer than a quarter could do math as expected, and less than half could read on grade level, committee researcher Matthew Lavery found.

鈥淢y data point is a very simple one,鈥� Lavery said: 鈥淐hronic absenteeism hurts achievement 鈥� kind of a lot.鈥�

On average, fewer than half of South Carolina鈥檚 third- through eighth-grade students meet math expectations, and barely over half can read well for their grade, according to . State report cards being released Tuesday grade elementary and middle schools based on how well their students performed on those tests.

Contributing to those dismal results are students simply not being in class for much of the school year, said Lavery, the oversight agency鈥檚 deputy director.

By law, the school year must include at least 180 days of instruction. The data analyzed absences over 115 school days, leaving out the weeks at the beginning and the end, so as not to count students who moved into or out of the state partway through a semester. But it did include those who switched schools within the state, Lavery said.

A student who skips 10% or more of their school days, including half days, is considered chronically absent. For the study, that meant students missed at least 12 days鈥� worth of classes.

The numbers

More students missed out as they got older, Lavery said.

In third, fourth and fifth grades, 15% of students missed 10% of the year or more. By eighth and ninth grades, that was up to 22%. And in 12th grade, 37% of students qualified as chronically absent, according to the data Lavery presented.

That could be because older students have more freedom. Parents usually put their younger children on the bus and see them off. But high schoolers who drive or have another way of getting to school might find it easier to cut class, said Sen. Kevin Johnson, a former school board member in Clarendon County.

鈥淭hese higher grades, these students may not be going to school, and parents may not even be aware of it,鈥� the Manning Democrat said.

Nationally, more students have been absent since the years of virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2019-20 school year, 13% of students were chronically absent. In the 2021-22 school year, that spiked to 28%, and in 2022-23, it was 26% nationally, according to data presented to the committee.

That could be because of a shift in attitudes toward virtual learning as opposed to classroom instruction, committee members said.

鈥淎 lot of the time, if you鈥檙e working from home, you think your child can do the same thing,鈥� said Dana Yow, director of the oversight agency.

But the more a student misses school, the more likely they are to fail the benchmark tests the state uses to gauge achievement, according to the report.

For instance, 23% of students who missed at least 12 school days got a passing score on the end-of-year math test, compared to 47% of those who missed fewer days.

The same pattern was true for reading, with 40% of chronically absent students getting a passing grade for English language arts, compared to 60% of other students.

And 26% of chronically absent students received a passing science score, compared to 49% who were not chronically absent, according to the presentation.

Test scores worsened the more often a student was absent.

Among middle school students considered 鈥渆xtremely chronically absent,鈥� meaning they missed 20% of the school year or more, 8% met math expectations.

In high school, 12% of extremely chronically absent students could do math at grade level, according to committee data.

鈥淭his impact is big for being chronically absent at all, but it鈥檚 severe when you鈥檙e extremely chronically absent,鈥� Lavery said.

Changing schools can also affect a child鈥檚 performance.

Regardless of absences, 22% of students who switched schools partway through the year could do math and 34% could read on grade level. Among those who didn鈥檛 switch, 42% could do math as expected, and 57% could read, according to the data.

鈥淭o me, the takeaway here is go to school. Go to the same school. Stay there. Learn,鈥� Lavery said.

Why students are absent

What causes a student to be frequently absent can vary.

The committee did not have data on the reasons. But member  said she had heard from students who worked long hours at night to help pay bills, which made them too tired to come to school the next day. Other long absences are due to families going on long vacations in the middle of the semester.

鈥淲e鈥檙e battling (absences) across all socioeconomic鈥� groups, said Pender, principal at Coosa Elementary School in Beaufort County and a former teacher of the year.

In other cases, it could just be that students and parents don鈥檛 understand why their child needs to go to school, said Melanie Barton, the governor鈥檚 education adviser.

鈥淚 am fearful that this is now a cultural shift for all kids, that they just don鈥檛 see the value, and parents don鈥檛 see the value anymore,鈥� said Barton, the agency鈥檚 former director.

That鈥檚 especially true among high school juniors and seniors who may be considering going into a field that doesn鈥檛 require a high school diploma or college degree.

When Sen. Dwight Loftis worked as an insurance agent, students would sometimes shadow him and tell him they were considering dropping out because they didn鈥檛 need to finish school, the Greenville Republican said.

鈥淚鈥檝e heard some other talk from other students who begin to think about what they want to do career-wise: What is the incentive to stay in school that they don鈥檛 see?鈥� Loftis said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 get it.鈥�

What to do

By law, school officials and parents are supposed to jointly figure out how to get those students back in class.

After three consecutive absences or five total absences unapproved by administrators, state law requires school officials to develop a plan alongside the absent student and their parents. If a child continues not to show up to school, district officials can then refer them to family court, according to the state Department of Education.

Making a change could be a matter of making sure schools enforce that rule, said Rep. Neal Collins.

鈥淪tate law already contemplates this question, and it鈥檚 not enforced,鈥� the Easley Republican said. 鈥淟ocally, statewide 鈥� it鈥檚 just not enforced.鈥�

Or, state education officials and local school leaders might need to do more to hammer home just how important it is for students to go to school and what children are losing by missing classes, Lavery said.

鈥淚f the student doesn鈥檛 understand the benefit of being here, it鈥檚 definitely going to be more challenging to get them to be here,鈥� Lavery said. 鈥淎nd it might suggest that we could do a better job of narrating that, to make it clear to students what they stand to gain and, if they are not seeing the benefit, then changing our delivery or changing our approach so they can find that benefit.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. SC Daily Gazette maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seanna Adcox for questions: info@scdailygazette.com. Follow SC Daily Gazette on and .

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From purchasing alarm clocks, donating Uber gift cards, showing up on families鈥� doorsteps and even attempting to help parents plan their vacations, Clear Creek ISD employees are exhausting their options to get students to show up to school.

In the roughly 40,000-student district southeast of Houston, 17 percent of students were considered 鈥渃hronically absent鈥� during the 2022-23 school year 鈥� meaning they missed at least 18 school days. That鈥檚 up nearly double from five years ago.

The issue is not unique to Clear Creek ISD. Mirroring a nationwide, persistent trend, rates of chronically absent Houston-area students exploded after the pandemic. It鈥檚 a phenomenon that leaves many wondering why kids aren鈥檛 coming to school like they used to 鈥� and what it will take to fix that.

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Houston’s other largest districts did not make administrators available for an interview for this story.

School leaders and education experts say high absenteeism has devastating ripple effects on students鈥� academic performance, school district funding and society鈥檚 overall perceived importance of the classroom. Yet there is no clear solution, causing schools to scramble to improve attendance habits.

鈥淭here did become the feeling of, 鈥業s schooling optional?鈥欌�� said Holly Hughes, Clear Creek ISD鈥檚 assistant superintendent of elementary education. 鈥淲e know that the habits start in pre-K, in our earliest years, with parents understanding the value and the intention. It鈥檚 a lot to get our students to school in the morning.鈥�

When schools returned in-person after the pandemic sent classes online, most large Houston districts saw their chronic absenteeism rates double. Those rates decreased in the 2022-23 school year 鈥� the most recently available state data 鈥� but still remain much higher than pre-pandemic levels.

鈥楧o we even need the school?鈥�

The pandemic shattered the routine of going to school each morning, and once students returned, the lingering option of remote learning was largely seen as an acceptable alternative for when students don鈥檛 show up in person.

鈥淧eople became comfortable staying home and not going to school, where they could dial in or not dial in,鈥� said Kevin Brown, executive director of the Texas Association of School Administrators. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 anybody there to enforce that.鈥�

That鈥檚 created an issue larger than anyone knows how to fix, let alone any one district, says Joshua Childs, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin鈥檚 College of Education. To him, it signals to him a shift in the culture of American schooling.

鈥淎t this moment, we are wrestling, as a country, as a state, in terms of what we value when it comes to educating the kids under the age of 18,鈥� Childs said. 鈥淟ike, what’s the value of education, and what’s the purpose of the school itself? And do we even need the school?鈥�

School leaders and education experts agree that a student鈥檚 attendance has major impacts on their academic achievement. The Texas Education Agency that chronically absent students are more likely to perform poorly on standardized tests, and they鈥檙e less likely to attend or complete college.

In a late June State Board of Education meeting, TEA commissioner Mike Morath hypothesized that increased absences could be a reason why studentg across Texas.

鈥淥ur broad hypothesis of this is that Covid caused much higher absenteeism from instruction, and as a result, much more mathematics gaps,鈥� Morath said. 鈥淭he linear nature of mathematics as a discipline is such that if a student misses little chunks of that discipline along the way, that may or may not cause them immediate problems, but it will certainly, at some point in time, prevent them from achieving higher levels of mathematics.鈥�

But the problem lies in getting students and families to understand these stakes.

鈥淥ne of the things that the pandemic 鈥� maybe raised more questions around, is, 鈥榃hat’s actually the purpose of schooling? If I can do it through my phone. I can learn through TikTok. I can learn through using technology in different ways, and arriving in a building every single day may not be what’s best for my kids or myself,鈥欌�� Childs said. 鈥淚t has big impacts, as far as academic outcomes, employment, post-secondary opportunities, social, mental, physical health outcomes. All of that is impacted based on a child鈥檚 attendance.鈥�

Across-the-board issue

Chronic absenteeism affects students across different demographics 鈥� campus-level data shows that in some Houston districts, schools in both affluent and underserved communities post similarly high rates of absenteeism.

Students in underserved areas may miss school because they lack necessities like transportation, or because they have a job to support their families. Meanwhile, students from more affluent families may miss class to take regular vacations or visit colleges. Across the board, it鈥檚 easier to keep kids at home because parents are increasingly able to work remotely.

With no simple root cause, there鈥檚 no crystal-clear solution to keeping kids in the classroom.

Hughes, the Clear Creek administrator, said she found it isn’t as simple as providing more 鈥渨raparound鈥� resources such as clothing and transportation. They鈥檝e had to urge families to schedule doctor appointments and college visits on staff professional development days, supply suggested dates for vacations, and try to communicate the overall importance of the in-person school routine.

鈥淚t’s important to start those traditions, those expectations and those structures in the home early,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淕oing to school on a daily basis and committing to that follow through every day, it takes a lot on a family unit. 鈥� I think it became hard for parents.鈥�

A pricey problem

Brown said declining attendance is a circular issue 鈥� the more kids miss school, the less money districts have to rectify low attendance.

The Texas government funds schools based on their average daily attendance, meaning total attendance counts for the year are divided by the number of instructional days to produce the number of students a district is funded for.

Proponents of attendance-based funding say it provides incentive for improving attendance, while critics have long argued it more heavily penalizes schools with students dealing with socioeconomic factors that drive absenteeism.

Many school districts across Texas have outlined multimillion-dollar budget deficits this year, and several Houston-area school boards have pointed to declining attendance rates as a factor contributing to their financial woes.

鈥淪chools are working really hard to try to get the kids in but it takes the parents and the kids, as well, to get them into school,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淪chools can’t do much on attendance, other than encourage and try to build an environment where kids want to be there.鈥�

This first appeared on and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

One in four Iowa students was chronically absent from school during the 2021-22 school year, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Officials hope a tiered approach to the problem will encourage schoolwide attendance and remove any barriers to attendance. They also hope additional investments in Iowa schools will counter the growing trend.

Executive Director of Student Services at Dubuque Community School District Shirley Horstman said her district uses a three-tiered approach to improve attendance schoolwide.

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The first tier is aimed at all students and encourages schools to lay out a clear school schedule, recognize good attendance and establish the benefits of attendance.

The second tier is for students absent for 5% to 10% of the school year. Schools will reach out to the parents of those students and look for ways to remove any obstacles to regular class attendance.

If it鈥檚 a transportation issue, the school may help the parents set up a local carpool, teach students how to use city buses or recommend having an older sibling walk them to school, according to Horstman.

The third tier is for chronically absent students who miss more than 10% of school days. For those students, schools will set up a more formal conversation with parents and create an attendance agreement outlining joint efforts to improve attendance.

Missing that much school puts students at an educational disadvantage, said Anne Fischer, executive director of Common Good Iowa, which helped with the report. 鈥淥nce you get behind, it鈥檚 hard to get caught up,鈥� she said.

Fischer said chronic absenteeism rates have grown across the nation since the pandemic. Iowa鈥檚 rate of chronic absenteeism of 26% is better than the national average of 30%, but both rates are still higher than the pre-pandemic national average of 16%.

Fourth-grade students who never missed a day of school scored proficient or above proficient in reading 40% of the time compared to 14% for students who missed ten or more days, according to the report.

It鈥檚 not just grades that are impacted by constant absences, Fischer said. A 2012 John Hopkins University study tracking Rhode Island students for seven years found that chronically absent students were more than twice as likely to get suspended or repeat a grade.

The increasing absenteeism rates negatively affect those who regularly attend class as well. Students in high-absence classrooms are more likely to have lower test scores, according to the report.

Horstman said when teachers have multiple chronically absent students, they are forced to repeat old material, create make-up assignments and spend more time trying to catch students up.

With more funding, Horstman said districts like hers could do at-home visits to discover any barriers to attendance and remind students of the importance of attendance.

鈥淚f we could do home visits to [chronically absent] students at the beginning of the year and welcome them and let them know we want them here, that鈥檚 something that I think could really move the needle,鈥� Horstman said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 a funding issue and it鈥檚 also a staffing issue.鈥�

Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, said addressing chronic absenteeism means addressing the causes behind it.

鈥淲hen kids are not in school it鈥檚 usually a sign that something鈥檚 going on that we need to address. We need to not blame kids and families, but we need to understand why and then when we understand why, we can come up with solutions,鈥� Chang said.

Students who experience instabilities at home such as divorce, domestic violence or substance abuse are more likely to be chronically absent, according to the report. Students facing such issues are also more likely to repeat a grade and be indifferent to succeeding academically.

Chang praised the Iowa Department of Education for making school-absence data available for all Iowa school districts as it allows them to keep better track of student attendance numbers across the state.

The state agency also provides grants to schools to help them address chronic absenteeism, according to Heather Doe, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Education.

Fischer said greater investments in Iowa schools are needed to counteract the growing tide of chronic absenteeism.

鈥淎t a time when costs have been rising faster and when students鈥� needs have been rising faster, we鈥檙e not prioritizing our schools in ways that we used to and so maybe it鈥檚 not surprising that we鈥檙e starting to see a little sign of erosion,鈥� Fischer said.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on and .

The bipartisan sponsors of a new bill to target chronic absenteeism want to model a piece of advice from novelist Jean Shepherd: 鈥淚n God we trust, all others pay cash.鈥�

In a proposed two-year pilot program, Republican state Rep. Bill Seitz and Democratic Rep. Dani Isaacsohn, both of Cincinnati, said cash transfers would be sent to kindergarteners and ninth graders to jumpstart school attendance which has long suffered in the state, but that was exacerbated by a global pandemic.

鈥淭his is the number one issue we are facing in education,鈥� Isaacsohn told the House Primary & Secondary Education Committee this week. 鈥淚t is an absolute emergency and we need to act like it.鈥�

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According to the , prior to the pandemic, kindergarteners considered chronically absent 鈥� missing 10% or more of a school year for any reason 鈥� registered at 11%. In the last school year, the rate ballooned to 29%.

Those chronically absent from their freshman year of high school represented 15% of students before the COVID-19 pandemic set in, but has now risen to more than 31%.

鈥淭hat is not just Ohio. There has been a cultural shift all over the country away from regular, 90-plus percent school attendance,鈥� Isaacsohn said.

One part of the new pilot program, if approved, would provide a total of $1.5 million over two years to give qualified school districts enough for up to two schools to distribute transfers to students or their parents/guardians. Seitz told the committee it will be up to the district to decide how the distribution of funds works, whether it be a biweekly transfer of $25 for each student, quarterly transfers of $150, or annual payment of $500.

A second part of the program would create a base award of $250 for graduating students from qualifying high schools, with an additional $250 to $750 for students with GPAs of 3.0 or above.

School districts would qualify if they receive federal Title 1 funding and rank in the lowest 20% of traditional public schools in graduation rate, as the bill is currently written. Any district hoping to be included in the pilot program would still have to apply.

Rural school districts and urban school districts must be included, Seitz said, and both types 鈥渕ust exhibit chronic absenteeism in the highest quartile based on the most recent state report card ratings.鈥�

鈥淪o, we鈥檙e going to pick sort of the worst of the worst on attendance and see if we can move the needle,鈥� Seitz told the committee.

With Ohio鈥檚 keeping students in school and helping them graduate, Seitz said the program comes after several other local-level efforts to bring students in.

鈥淲e鈥檝e tried pizza day and we鈥檝e tried playground hours, and we鈥檝e tried all kind of foo-foo stuff,鈥� Seitz said. 鈥淒oesn鈥檛 seem to work.鈥�

The sponsors received criticism from some Republican members of the committee who worried paying students for something they should be required to do might send the wrong message.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 see this as rewarding good behavior, I see this as rewarding bad behavior and encouraging the entitlement mentality that a lot of our young people are receiving,鈥� said state Rep. Beth Lear, R-Galena.

State Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania, questioned paying students 鈥渢o follow the law,鈥� even as truancy laws and parental consequences exist in the state, and even pondered the long-term effects of the concept of financial incentives to abide by the law.

鈥淎re we going to get to the point where we鈥檙e paying rapists not to rape,鈥� Williams asked the co-sponsors. 鈥淎re we really going to start that trend where we鈥檙e going to go in and invest to prevent people from committing crimes?鈥�

Seitz said the 鈥渄eterrent effect鈥� of laws against crimes like rape have the desired effect, but that isn鈥檛 the case for those fighting against chronic absenteeism.

鈥淭he deterrent effect of a truant officer is about zero, because most districts don鈥檛 even have them, or if they do, they can鈥檛 even begin to do the job,鈥� Seitz said.

State Rep. Sean Brennan, D-Parma, a former teacher, agreed that creating an incentive to allow teachers to have their impact on students in the classrooms only serves to help where truancy enforcement 鈥� or lack thereof 鈥� doesn鈥檛.

鈥淭he truancy laws and attendance laws we have in Ohio quite frankly just don鈥檛 have a whole lot of teeth,鈥� Brennan said.

The state could benefit as well if the program works, since students who are chronically absentee and those who fail to graduate not only hurt their financial potential, but also the state鈥檚, sponsors said.

鈥淭hey have lower lifetime earnings, therefore they鈥檙e paying lower taxes, they have higher rates of incarceration and interactions with the criminal justice system, higher utilization of public benefits,鈥� Isaacsohn said. 鈥淪o this is a situation of let鈥檚 pay now, so we don鈥檛 have to pay later.鈥�

If the pilot program鈥檚 data shows success in improving absenteeism and graduation rates in the state, Seitz also said money for future programs could naturally work itself out with less of a need to fund the state鈥檚 dropout recovery schools.

The bill will have public hearings for both opposition and proponent comments in the House Primary & Secondary Committee before it goes up for a vote.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor David DeWitt for questions: info@ohiocapitaljournal.com. Follow Ohio Capital Journal on and .

Kentucky鈥檚 new School Report Card shows the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic on student learning.

Interim Education Commissioner Robin Fields Kinney told reporters Tuesday that 鈥渁 multi-year recovery period鈥� will likely be needed 鈥渂efore school performance really gets back鈥� to pre-pandemic levels.

Kinney and other state education officials briefed reporters on newly released assessment and education data from 2022-23. A wide range of metrics was reported for every public school 鈥� from math and reading performance to teacher demographics. The information is publicly available in a color-coded dashboard at .

Kinney said the data reveals a worrisome increase in student absenteeism.

The rate of student absences is up by two-thirds from 2018-19, the last academic year before COVID-19 disrupted traditional attendance record keeping.

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In the 2018-19 academic year, 119,581 students were considered chronically absent, or 17.8% of Kentucky students.

In the 2022-23 academic year, 198,524 students 鈥� or 29.8% 鈥� qualified as chronically absent.

Kinney attributed the increased absences not just to pandemic disruptions but also to challenges created when tornadoes hit Western Kentucky in 2021 and floods devastated Eastern Kentucky in 2022, as well as to 鈥渆motional trauma and stress鈥� among young people.

The Kentucky Department of Education defines chronic absenteeism as attending 90% or less of the time a student should spend in class.

鈥淓very child deserves the opportunity for consistent attendance and a chance to thrive in the classroom. It is crucial that we work together and find solutions to combat chronic absenteeism,鈥� Kinney said.

Kinney, who recently began serving as the , said the state 鈥渕ust not underestimate鈥� the coronavirus鈥檚 impact on student learning. When the pandemic , schools closed and switched to remote and virtual learning to prevent spread of the virus.

鈥淲e know that changes in the way instruction was delivered from 2020 to 2022 had an impact on student learning, despite the tremendous efforts of Kentucky educators and parents to remediate those impacts,鈥� Kinney said.

Learning gaps

Kentucky has 1,484 schools. According to the data, 28 schools were classified as needing Comprehensive Support and Improvement  and 224 needed Targeted Support and Improvement. None were identified as needing Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI).

In 2022, there were 401 TSI schools, but two closed, leaving 399 TSI schools. . This year, 185 exited TSI status. Ten schools formerly CSI are now TSI schools.

Among high school students, the overall score for all students was 63.0. For African Americans it was 45.5 and for students with disabilities it was 40.4.

The percentage of students scoring proficient or distinguished in math and reading was double among those who come from homes that are more economically secure compared with their economically disadvantaged peers.

The numbers, which were released less than a week away from voters deciding Kentucky鈥檚 next governor and other statewide offices and ahead of the General Assembly鈥檚 2024 legislative session, will be reviewed by lawmakers on the Interim Joint Committee on Education in Frankfort Wednesday morning. The data is typically released annually in the fall, months after students take assessments in the spring.

Kinney said the Department of Education will continue to assist school districts and will continue work with the General Assembly to improve literacy attainment for the state鈥檚 youngest students and early learners.

Assessment results

While student performance still has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, Kentucky elementary and middle schools did increase their reading and math performances in .High schools maintained their performances. Elementary, middle and high schools increased their performances in science, social studies and combined writing areas. Students completed assessments in spring 2023.

The state鈥檚 four-year graduation rate in 2022-23 was 91.4%. The five-year graduation rate was 92.5%.

For Kentucky students who took the ACT during the 2022-23 school year, the average composite score was 18.5, up 0.2 from the previous year.

Demographics in Kentucky schools

During the 2022-23 school year, a majority of Kentucky students were economically disadvantaged, 60.2%. Identifying such students depends on 鈥渂eing program or income eligible for free or reduced-priced meals.鈥� In the same school year, 39.8% of students were non-economically disadvantaged.

According to data from the previous school year, , 59.9% of students were economically disadvantaged.

Additionally, Kentucky schools are slightly more diverse when comparing current and last year鈥檚 data. During 2022-23, a majority of Kentucky students are white, 72.7%, down 0.8% from the previous year. Also in the same school year, 10.8% of Kentucky students are African American, 8.5% are Hispanic or Latino, and 7.2% identify as another demographic.

A majority of faculty in Kentucky schools continue to be women, 77.2%, and white, 94.7%.

Educational opportunities

Fewer students participated in Career and Technical Education programs in the 2022-23 school year than the previous school year. In 2022-23, the participation rate was 18%, down 6.4%.

About 0.1% more students were identified as Gifted and Talented in the most recent school year for a total of 13.8%. Advanced coursework completion also slightly increased by 0.3%, for a total of 93.9%.

For the 2022-23 school year, Kentucky鈥檚 attendance rate was 91.9%, but about 34% of all Kentucky students were identified as having chronic absenteeism, or being present 90% or less of full-time equivalency.

School safety

The data released Tuesday showed that 13.5% of students have had behavior events reported to the state. Additionally, the percentage of students who received an out-of-school suspension last year was 5.9% and the percentage of students who had an in-school removal was 7.5%.

Earlier this year, the Republican-led General Assembly approved legislation to expand in Kentucky classrooms before situations escalate into safety concerns. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who is seeking reelection, signed the bill into law.

Jamie Lucke contributed to this report.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. Follow Kentucky Lantern on and .

Oregon students appear to be making some progress, but state and local education leaders are concerned about high absentee rates amid new data showing a sharp decline in regular school attendance among Oregon students since the pandemic.

The number of Oregon kids regularly attending school last year dropped by nearly 20 percentage points from pre-pandemic levels, according to new data from the Oregon Department of Education. About 62% of Oregon students attended 90% or more of school days during the 2022-23 school year and nearly 40%, on average, missed at least 16 days out of 160 or more days. During the 2018-19 school year, about 80% of students attended class at least 90% of the year. Students who attend at least 90% of the time are considered to have regular attendance.

Absenteeism rates are highest in kindergarten, early elementary grades and among high school seniors, according to state data and the districts. Educators say absences in the younger grades can have the most impact. shows students who are chronically absent in preschool, kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by third grade, making them four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers.

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The data was released as part of the Oregon Department of Education鈥檚 At-A-Glance Profiles of districts, which combine state assessment test scores with other district and school health measures, such as the number of experienced teachers, school mental health staff and librarians in buildings, and the number of high school freshman who are on track to graduate in four years.

The latest profiles show that steep declines in student comprehension in core subjects during the pandemic are , as well as the number of students on track to graduate in four years. It also shows that schools are hiring more teachers and behavioral health staff to help with the recovery. But the most unmovable setback since COVID hit seems to be regular school attendance, especially for kids in the earliest grades

鈥淲e know that students aren鈥檛 benefiting from instruction when they are not in the classroom, so this is a serious concern for Oregon鈥檚 educators,鈥� officials at the Oregon Department of Education said in a news release. Agency officials and district leaders have different hypotheses as to why regular attendance has declined so sharply.

鈥楩inancial burdens鈥�

Charlene Williams, director of the Oregon鈥檚 state education agency, said she鈥檚 hearing from districts that the rise in chronic absenteeism is due in part to students missing school days if they or a family member get COVID, as well as the loss of pandemic-era financial and housing support for families.

鈥淭hose financial burdens are landing back in the laps of some of our families, and they are struggling once again in some cases with food insecurity and finding stable housing and those kinds of things,鈥� Williams said in a news conference prior to the data release.

The Capital Chronicle reached out to dozens of superintendents across the state, who echoed a common theme 鈥� the pandemic changed families鈥� attitudes about compulsory school attendance.

Tom Rogozinski, superintendent in the Warrenton Hammond School District on Oregon鈥檚 northwest coast, said the increase in absenteeism stems in part from students or family members getting COVID. But he said the biggest change is a shift in how families and students perceive the responsibility of attending school regularly.

鈥淩eentry to school every day, five days a week, has been an adjustment for kids and families and for whatever reason it feels like that old given 鈥� that we鈥檙e going to school everyday 鈥� is not as fully entrenched,鈥� he said.

More than one-third of students in kindergarten, first grade and second grade in the district were chronically absent last year, mirroring statewide absenteeism rates.

Rogozinski said about 95% of absences in his district are excused. Big districts have teams that visit homes to increase attendance but Warrenton Hammond is a small district. Still, he said teachers and principals visit homes when a student has missed a significant chunk of school time to try to get them back to class.

鈥淭here used to be more force with truancy laws to render a fine or a judgment,鈥� Rogozinski said, noting that students no longer face those kinds of consequences.

Several superintendents bemoaned the Legislature鈥檚 decision in 2021 to end laws allowing districts to fine parents, or to have judges and truancy courts mandate students attend school, if they鈥檇 missed a significant number of days.

George Mendoza, superintendent in the La Grande School District in eastern Oregon said in an email that using judges and fines was not 鈥渁 top tactic or strategy鈥� for getting kids to school but that without it, 鈥渋t does erode our highest levels of accountability.鈥�

During the latest legislative session, an 18-member taskforce was created to submit by September 2024 alternative ideas for boosting student attendance statewide.

Rebuilding relationships

In Hermiston, Superintendent Trisha Mooney said teachers and coaches in her district are trying to rebuild relationships and connections with kids that remote learning impaired.

鈥淪ome kids will show up for one thing 鈥� for band, a sport, a club 鈥� that gets them coming to school. That鈥檚 the connector that gets them building those habits,鈥� she said. 鈥淜ids have to learn that it鈥檚 important to be part of something bigger than you, and that others are relying on you to show up. That other people are counting on you.鈥�

Administrators from the Central School District in Independence, the Beaverton School District and Willamina School District in Yamhill County said boosting regular attendance was a top priority this school year.

Those districts and others are using resources linked to an initiative called Every Day Matters, spearheaded by the state department of education and funded with $6 million by the Legislature in 2016, to boost attendance. The initiative involves officials meeting with students and families to address the root causes of chronic absenteeism. Funding was paused at the onset of the pandemic but resumed this year. Districts can use the money to hire community-school liaisons, advocates and counselors to work more closely with students and families to get kids back in class.

In the Bethel School District in Eugene, superintendent Kraig Sproles said part of its strategy to boost attendance has been hiring more mental health professionals.

鈥淲e have seen an increase in the number of students seeking support for issues related to anxiety and depression. We know that mental health issues not only impact student learning, but also can impact school attendance. While we have always had students who struggle with mental health, the number and severity of the issues have greatly increased,鈥� he said in an email.

In the past, mostly older students suffered anxiety and depression but he said district officials are now seeing younger students also struggle.

Graduation rates

The percentage of ninth graders on track to graduate within four years is nearing pre-pandemic levels. Statewide, about 84% of the class of 2026 is headed towards graduation.

Several districts, including Bend-La Pine, Medford, Springfield, South Umpqua and Lebanon, made significant gains in ninth grade on-track performance. Dan Farley, assistant superintendent of the education department鈥檚 research and data accountability office, said school administrators in those districts created teams of counselors and teachers to review student data and target gaps in credit attainment and attendance to get students on track.

Some schools also hired 鈥渃ultural liaisons鈥� who speak other languages than English to work with students and their families to make sure they knew about credit and graduation requirements. Some districts also offered more classes and programs to count toward graduation requirements, as well as expanded after-school tutoring and summer school options.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e either expanding, adding or shifting to give students different and additional opportunities to learn,鈥� Farley said.

About 56% of Oregon鈥檚 class of 2021 enrolled in college within 16 months of graduating, down from 63% before the pandemic. That follows a national trend: Nationwide, about 62% of 2021 high school graduates enrolled in college, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. During the last decade, undergraduate enrollment in colleges nationwide has declined 15%.

Williams, the new education director, said the Oregon鈥檚 Higher Education Coordinating Commission has found that tighter budgets and soaring prices in recent years and the high costs of tuition has affected college enrollment rates.

鈥淪tudents just really wanted to put college on pause, you know, while they could figure out their lives,鈥� Williams said.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on and .

The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the convictions of two single mothers who were charged with violating the state鈥檚 compulsory attendance law after their children missed school without a documented illness.

focused on what 鈥渞egular attendance鈥� means and whether the state law was too vague.

Ellen Flottman, a public defender representing the mothers, argued the law is inconsistently applied. The children鈥檚 school district, Lebanon R-III School District, required students to attend school at least 90% of the time, but defendants didn鈥檛 know if this percentage included excused absences.

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鈥淢y clients were not acting knowingly鈥�. They鈥檙e being misled by the school handbook and the school administrators,鈥� Flottman said in May.

Assistant Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang, who represented the state, told the Supreme Court that the definition of 鈥渁 regular basis鈥� means attending school every day school is in session.

According to the filing, one student missed nine days of school without an excuse called into the school鈥檚 office, and the other defendant鈥檚 child was absent seven days without an excuse.

Missouri Supreme Court Judge Robin Ransom wrote, with five in concurrence, that these unexcused absences violated state law.

She wrote that there are two reasons children can be absent from class: If a parent removes them from the school鈥檚 rolls or if they are 鈥渕entally or physically incapacitated to the satisfaction of school officials.鈥�

Ransom wrote that, because state law doesn鈥檛 mandate 90% attendance, the discussion of the district鈥檚 policy is 鈥渙f little relevance.鈥�

The district鈥檚 actions did, though, inform the parents that they were breaking the law, the ruling says.

鈥淣either (defendant) was provided information by the school to suggest there would be no consequences for each child鈥檚 failure to attend,鈥� Ransom wrote. 鈥淩ather, school officials consistently communicated that regular attendance was required.鈥�

The ruling affirms both state law and the decisions of the lower courts to convict the parents.

Because of Laclede County Circuit Court鈥檚 ruling, one mother spent seven days in jail, and the other received two years of probation.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on and .

The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over whether two single mothers should have been sentenced to jail time because their children missed more days of school than the local district allowed.

The case centers on , which states that a parent must ensure their child attends 鈥渢he academic program on a regular basis.鈥�

Assistant Attorney General Shaun Mackelprang, representing the state, argued that the definition of 鈥渁 regular basis鈥� means attending school every day on the district鈥檚 schedule.

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鈥淒o I have to go to school everyday? The answer is yes,鈥� he told six Supreme Court judges Wednesday morning. 鈥淵ou have to go to school every day that the school is in session.鈥�

Ellen Flottman, a public defender representing Caitlyn Williams and Tamarae LaRue, argued the law is unconstitutionally vague and inconsistently applied.

鈥淭he state鈥檚 position is anti-parent. Most of the school districts are not prosecuting these parents,鈥� Flottman said Wednesday. 鈥淪chools have to work with parents; they have to have policies because they want the kids to go to school.鈥�

鈥淏ut this is a kindergartener and a first grader. Is missing one day in November and one day in December going to hurt this kindergartener鈥檚 education that much?鈥�

Case Background

Williams and LaRue鈥檚 children attended school in the Lebanon R-III School District, about an hour outside of Springfield.

The district has a 16.1% poverty rate, , compared to Missouri鈥檚 12.7% poverty rate.

During the 2021-2022 school year, Williams鈥� six-year-old daughter missed 16 days of school before the district filed a probable cause statement. A Laclede County Circuit Court judge sentenced Williams to seven days in jail and added a misdemeanor to her record.

Williams called her daughter out from school sick for six of the absences, but the school counts these as 鈥渧erified鈥� but not 鈥渆xcused鈥� and tallies the hours and minutes of missed instructional time toward her percentage.

The district鈥檚 handbook, which parents check a box that they have read when they register online, says parents must notify the school of absences but it does not clarify the difference between 鈥渧erified鈥� and 鈥渆xcused鈥� absences, such as those with a doctor鈥檚 note.

鈥淢y clients were not acting knowingly鈥�. They鈥檙e being misled by the school handbook and the school administrators,鈥� Flottman said Wednesday.

The handbook also says: 鈥淭he state mandates that students maintain 90% or higher attendance each year in school and that continued and valuable learning cannot take place without regular attendance.鈥�

State statute does not mandate a 90% attendance rate, though students who maintain this level of attendance contribute greater to school accreditation, Mackelprang said Wednesday.

Mackelprang argued in a filing in the case that high attendance contributes toward a school鈥檚 funding.

鈥淒aily attendance, even down to the hour, has important consequences for schools and, by extension, all of the students at a given school,鈥� Mackelprang wrote.

LaRue鈥檚 six-year-old son was absent 13 days, according to Flottman, and LaRue called the school with explanation for six of those absences. The district says his attendance, based on the number of hours present, is just under 80%.

Court documents say LaRue gave the following reasons for her son鈥檚 absence: Doctor appointment, fever, at dad鈥檚 in Iowa, another appointment, overslept and sick. Documents mention siblings and that the family contracted COVID-19 during the school year.

LaRue was sentenced to 15 days in jail by a different Laclede County Circuit Court judge than Williams, but the sentence was changed to two years of probation.

Arguments

Flottman鈥檚 argument was three-pronged: The parents didn鈥檛 know that they were violating the rules because the handbook didn鈥檛 state that absences without doctor鈥檚 notes are unexcused; the circuit court failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the children鈥檚 absences were beyond regular attendance; and the state statute is 鈥渦nconstitutionally vague鈥� by failing to define what 鈥渞egular鈥� attendance means.

She opened the arguments by saying she attends church 鈥渙n a regular basis,鈥� although she missed a service recently and has a vacation planned.

鈥淭he state has argued that regular means every day,鈥� she said as Judge W. Brent Powell interrupted her.

Powell said he liked her church analogy but asked if the nonattendance rules were like the speed limit, where not everyone that gets caught breaking the law gets a ticket but officers have discretion on what is too far.

Flottman responded by using an example introduced in Mackelprang鈥檚 brief, the Wisconsin compulsory school attendance law which says children should attend school 鈥渞egularly.鈥� The Wisconsin Court of Appeals defined 鈥渞egularly鈥� as 鈥渃onstantly and uniformly,鈥� Mackelprang wrote.

Flottman said the state鈥檚 argument also helped her clients, for Wisconsin鈥檚 law has a 鈥渟pecific schema,鈥� she said Wednesday.

鈥淢issouri doesn鈥檛 give that kind of guidance to parents,鈥� she said.

Judge Mary R. Russell inquired Mackelprang about why Missouri lawmakers didn鈥檛 include more specificity in the attendance law.

鈥淲hy would the legislature choose to write it this way instead of in a way that is more articulate?鈥� she asked.

鈥淭hey just have to write it in a way that is adequate,鈥� Mackelprang said.

鈥淪o, is the legislature leaving it up to local school districts how to enforce this word?鈥� Russell asked, inquiring about the definition of 鈥渞egular attendance.鈥� 鈥淗ow to interpret this word?鈥�

鈥淭here probably is some discretion of when they are going to go to the prosecutor with it,鈥� Mackelprang said.

Flottman said she was worried about this leniency allowing schools to apply different standards to students.

鈥淭he students that take a day off to go deer hunting or their parents who take their children out of school for a week to go to Disney World are not being prosecuted for this. So there鈥檚 a difference between prosecutorial discretion and arbitrary enforcement,鈥� she said.

Judge Robin Ransom asked if she would make the same argument if it were not a criminal case.

鈥淚 do think the criminalization of this certainly has to do with it. We鈥檙e talking about the liberty of people who are just trying to do the best they can,鈥� Flottman said.

She said she would argue that the state should get involved to provide services to get the children to school.

Mackelprang said the statute is not 鈥渁nti-parent.鈥� He said parents are in control of young children and have options to homeschool or enroll them in private school.

鈥淲omen make the decision to enroll them in a public school, like the parents did in this case,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e subject to the terms of this statute.鈥�

The judges can鈥檛 base their decision on violations of the school handbook, for the state鈥檚 case is that Williams and LaRue broke state law.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on and .

Aside from omicron, Biden administration officials let states and schools know this month that accountability systems typically used to identify and support low-performing schools are expected to be restarted after multiple years of pauses, disruptions, and case-by-case exemptions from federal requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While officials expect states to begin unthawing their K-12 accountability systems, recent guidance offers states and districts flexibility in amending the criteria used to track school performance, a compromise that some say is the department鈥檚 acknowledgement of continued uncertainty and disruption as COVID cases surge. 

Looking beyond accountability measures and the Education Department, here are 12 other updates from across the country about how states and school systems are confronting the challenges posed by COVID-19 and its variants 鈥� and working to preserve student learning amid the pandemic:

INDIANA 鈥� Saturday 鈥楢ccelerator鈥� Programming Hopes to Serve as Model for Learning Recovery

Schools in South Bend, Indiana, that offers classes, tutoring, and various supports to students working to catch up from pandemic disruption. The weekend program staff say they have experienced success with a data-driven approach to identifying where students should focus extended learning and that they hope the program can serve as a model for schools across Indiana.

NORTH CAROLINA 鈥� Learning Hubs Provide Academic Recovery for Network of NC Schools

Teachers and families created during the pandemic to help offer students extended learning time, a place to seek school supports, and increasingly, a venue for teachers to support one another. The hubs were supported by grants from prominent philanthropic foundations and in some counties in the states, have been integral in helping students transition back to the school environment after much disruption.

CALIFORNIA 鈥� Statewide School Reopening Hinging on Testing Policies

In an overview of post-holiday school reopening procedures across California, the New York Times describes how many districts 鈥� enrolling millions of students collectively 鈥� for students and staff to keep buildings open after the state maintained some of the most severe restrictions in the nation during much of the pandemic. The new year update on school health and safety policies comes after Los Angeles officials decided to postpone the nation鈥檚 first student vaccine mandate to the fall of 2022.

FLORIDA – Schools See Sharp Absence Rate As School Open After Holiday, Amid Omicron Surge

Districts across Florida reported thousands of student and staff absences as schools resumed following the holiday break, . Some district officials pointed to limited testing and masking protocols to keep virus numbers down in schools, while Gov. Ron DeSantis held firm in the state鈥檚 ban on mask mandates and discouragement of other precautions.

MONTANA 鈥� Funding for Student Mental Health Services Expiring, Prompting Lawmaker Response

Federal funding for a mental health program in Montana has run out, though lawmakers say they鈥檙e working to identify a new funding structure to keep services flowing to students. The Comprehensive School and Community Treatment program typically requires schools to cover one third of the cost of services 鈥� a cost that .

KANSAS 鈥� Relief-Funded Program Aims to Provide Education Resources Directly to Families

Lawmakers in Kansas approved a new program that would use roughly $50 million in federal COVID-19 relief to specifically support low-income families and students secure learning materials and supports, from technology to tutoring services. The aid would be 鈥渇irst-come, first-serve,鈥� according to an education department spokeswoman, .

ARIZONA 鈥� Gov. Ducey Announces Private School Vouchers for Students in Remote Public Schools

Gov. Ducey announced a new state program last week due to the surge in omicron cases and hospitalizations, a move the Republican governor described as 鈥減reemptive action鈥� to keep kids in classrooms. Roughly $10 million in relief funds would be directed to the voucher system, with parents able to receive up to $7,000 per year for tuition and education costs.

ILLINOIS 鈥� Concerns Over Bus Company Layoffs Sparks Calls for Relief Funding Transparency

Concerns are being raised about 鈥済ood faith鈥� payments made by Chicago Public Schools to nine transportation companies that laid off workers throughout the pandemic, . The city鈥檚 inspector general鈥檚 office alerted the district to that discrepancy, resulting in repayment, but officials say the issue highlights the need for transparency in school districts in how pandemic-related funds are spent.

COLORADO 鈥� Teachers Union Warns Increasing Numbers of Educators At Risk of Leaving Profession

Pandemic teaching conditions are pushing more and more Colorado educators to consider leaving the profession, say a number of teacher organizations and unions in the state. A recent report from the Colorado Education Association due to 鈥渙verwhelming workload and low pay.鈥�

MICHIGAN 鈥� State Moves Forward With Mental Health Staffing Initiative

Michigan is moving forward with . The $240 million investment in mental health access for students is a piece of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer鈥檚 COVID relief plan and comes after Michigan ranked second worst in the U.S. in terms of student access to counselors.

TEXAS 鈥� Gov. Abbott Directs Next Round of Federal Aid to Education, Including Expanding Charters

The latest round of and include grants to families of students receiving special education services, charter school grants, and loan forgiveness and financial aid to frontline health workers.

VIRGINIA 鈥� $12 Million in Federal Funds Dedicated to Teacher Recruitment, Retainment Efforts

Virginia education officials announced that roughly , with a primary goal of diversifying the recruitment of teaching candidates and helping aspiring educators navigate licensure.

This update on pandemic recovery in education collects and shares news updates from the district, state, and national levels as all stakeholders continue to work on developing safe, innovative plans to resume schooling and address learning loss. It鈥檚 an offshoot of the Collaborative for Student Success鈥� QuickSheet newsletter, which you can .