35% of New York public school students are chronically absent from school, and the new superintendent of education vows to solve the problem
Recent data reveals that approximately 35% of public school students have been chronically absent since the pandemic. In a conversation on WBLS 107.5 radio with Mayor Eric Adams on October 13, inbound city education director Melissa Aviles-Ramos expressed her intent to tackle the root causes of chronic absenteeism among New York City public school students.
Growing up in the Bronx, Aviles-Ramos shared her own struggles with affording essentials like clothing and food, granting her a personal understanding of the barriers that can lead to student disengagement. She emphasized her commitment to maintaining policies aimed at improving literacy and job readiness while also undertaking efforts to identify and address the specific reasons behind students’ absences on a family-by-family basis.
According to the Mayor’s Management Report, nearly 35% of public school students in the 2023-24 academic year were classified as chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of their classes over the school year. This figure is consistent with the previous year, where 36% of students were identified as chronically absent. The absence rates were particularly high among African American, Hispanic, low-income, and disabled students. Aviles-Ramos noted that while schools have implemented measures like calling families and seeking assistance from counselors and social workers to encourage attendance, “what we really need to do is connect directly with families.”
In a recent lawsuit against the New York City public school system, the Legal Aid Society accused the city of failing to address the high absentee rates among disabled students. The lawsuit states that over 46% of disabled students were chronically absent during the 2022-2023 academic year, asserting that systemic issues within public schools have led to a lack of equal educational opportunities for these students, violating rights guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other legislation.
Bobson Wong, a math teacher at Bayside High School, remarked that the absenteeism issue has not improved since the pandemic. He noted that many students he knows who are chronically absent simply do not want to attend school or are afraid of it. Wong also pointed out that some chronically absent students come from more affluent families, suggesting that attributing absenteeism solely to financial struggles oversimplifies the issue. He believes that it’s crucial to reflect on whether the school’s curriculum and teaching methods are engaging enough, as well as how students are treated within the educational environment.
