ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Regular school attendance can be considered a cornerstone of academic achievement. However, reports across New York state and even the country have seen a significant increase in learning loss due to being chronically absent during the school year.

The phrase "80% of success is just showing up" may come across more clever than true. But it resonates strongly in light of reports of one in three students chronically absent from school districts across the state, according to the New York State Comptroller.

What You Need To Know

  • A report by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli details how chronic absenteeism rates among New York public and charter school students increased sharply as schools transitioned back to in-person learning after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided and remained high with nearly one in three students chronically absent during the 2022-23 school year. The rates were highest for high school students at 34.1%, 7.6% higher than elementary and middle school students

  • Chronic absenteeism is defined by the U.S. Department of Education as the share of students who miss at least 10% of days (typically 18) in a school year for any reason, excused, unexcused or for disciplinary reasons. New York state excludes suspensions and extended medical absences from the state’s chronic absenteeism calculation

  • Educational institutions across the board are striving to enhance student attendance, but the new dynamics among families and personal lives have grown complex and multifaceted

“We are able to provide them with a hot meal,” Rochester City School District interim superintendent Demario Strickland said. “We are able to provide them with warmth. But I think we just have some extenuating circumstances that are causing families not to be able to send their children to school.”

Strickland has only been in the position of interim superintendent of Rochester City Schools since July 1, but has had extensive experience working in education. From a teacher, dean, principal and in his current role, he has seen trends of absenteeism that date back to even when he was a student.

“I was a child that grew up in poverty,” Strickland said. “Those circumstances still exist. We have families working two or three jobs and working on the weekends. And we have a lot of children that have to or they're forced into helping to raise their younger siblings and things of that nature. And those are tall tasks.”

Educational institutions across the board are striving to enhance student attendance, but the new dynamics among families and personal lives have grown complex and multifaceted.

“The increase in unhoused individuals homelessness skyrocketed,” Strickland said. “Skyrocketing rents. There has been an increase in gang violence. And that also impacts students' ability to have a safe passage to school. Transportation is another resource that is seeing large issues around the United States, in that there's a transportation shortage.” 

In the four years since the pandemic shut down in-person schooling, U.S. education has struggled to recover on a number of fronts — from learning loss, enrollment and even student behavior. They are issues the Rochester City School District is taking steps to conquer. 

“We want to begin engaging and having stronger relationships with the community to figure out how we reach those families,” Strickland said. “How do we possibly bring virtual learning into the homes of our families that may have missed the bus and then the family can't bring them to school that day? How do we ensure that that student gets a quality education at all? I'm very much performance-oriented. That's what it's all about. You can't get stuck on the process. You have to think about what outcomes we want to see and then backwards plan from there. One of the things I will say is I know that it takes inviting individuals, partners [and] the community and to support us in this work.”

Designing a system to meet their needs, the Rochester City School District realizes they can’t solve the attendance challenge on their own. The district is hoping all hands are on deck from students, staff and families for a crucial recovery. 

“It's not just a Rochester City School District problem,” Strickland said. “It's a society problem. It’s a dual relationship. It’s a relationship between families. And when you do that, it builds on something great.”