Last year, over 240,000 students in Colorado were chronically absent from school, but this is an improvement compared to previous years. According to the State Department of Education’s new data, student attendance increased slightly to 91.5%, and chronic absenteeism dropped to 27.7%.
Despite these improvements, more than one in four Colorado children missed 10% or more of the school year. Denver Public Schools (DPS), the state’s largest district, is focusing on reducing chronic absenteeism rather than just overall attendance.
DPS aims to tackle this issue by working closely with schools, families, and community partners. Derek Pike, assistant principal at Denver West High School, noted that challenges like transportation, food insecurity, and family responsibilities have worsened since the pandemic.
To address these issues, DPS is offering incentives for students to attend school and is also working to identify and resolve the underlying causes of absenteeism. “We need to connect with families to understand and remove barriers,” Pike said.
DPS also aims to support families in need and to return to pre-pandemic absence rates. Dr. Cori Canty, the attendance systems manager, expressed optimism about the district’s direction but acknowledged the difficulties in re-engaging students after the pandemic.
Dr. Canty stressed that combating chronic absenteeism requires a collective effort from schools, parents, students, and the community. “We need everyone’s support to keep our students in school and help them succeed,” she said.
Currently, DPS’s attendance rate is 89.4%, which is nearly 2% below the state average. Despite efforts, about one-third of students in the district were chronically absent last year. The district is actively working on solutions through data collection, resource identification, and community partnerships.
Pike emphasized the shared goal of ensuring students are in school despite the challenges they face. Education and schools can make a big difference in students’ lives, he said.
Dr. Canty concluded that overcoming absenteeism will require a unified effort from everyone involved.