The number of students considered "chronically absent" in Maine fell slightly last year, though more than a quarter of students still missed more than 10% of the school year.
According to newly released data from the Maine Department of Education, more than 27% of students were chronically absent during the 2022-2023 school year, a decline from more than 31% the year before.
Heather Manchester, the superintendent of the Oxford Hills School District, said that the effects of COVID-19 continue to affect student attendance, as schools told children for years to not to come in if they were sick.
"Now, trying to get families back into those routines, and getting them to come back into school, has proved a little bit more challenging," Manchester said.
Manchester said her district has also been challenged by a lack of bus drivers, which occasionally has left students without transportation to school.
Manchester said the district has been working on addressing chronic absenteeism since before the pandemic, and has created attendance teams at each school, as well as a Dean of Students position focused on improving student attendance.
Marcus Mrowka, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Education, said that the state's chronic absenteeism numbers are in line with nationwide trends, and noted that "increased stress, mental health, and other wellbeing issues have also played a role in some students feeling less engaged in school. "
The department also stressed the importance of regular school attendance, and noted new efforts to engage students, including the expansion of outdoor learning, career and technical education and the implementation of the "Building Assets, Reducing Risks" model, which research has shown to reduce absenteeism.
At RSU 9 in Farmington, Superintendent Chris Elkington said that attendance has become administrators' No. 1 priority this year, with staff working to improve school culture, strengthen connections with families and offer multiple bus runs in the morning, so a student can still get to school if they missed the bus earlier in the morning.
"If they're here, there's stuff we can do. And things we can help them with. There's resources, there's food, there's medical services, there's learning. But if they're not here, we can't do anything about any of that," Elkington said.
A student is considered chronically absent if they miss more than 10% of the school year, counting both excused and unexcused absences.
