Post-COVID chronic absenteeism has nearly doubled among America’s poorest students, with rates soaring 89% nationwide since the pandemic—exposing how liberal school closure policies have created a catastrophic educational crisis disproportionately hurting low-income families.
Key Takeaways
- Chronic absenteeism rates have more than doubled from 17% in 2019 to 37% in 2023 in states like North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, with the crisis showing few signs of improvement.
- Low-income students are bearing the brunt of the absenteeism crisis, with income disparity—not race—being the primary driver of attendance gaps.
- Despite declining from a peak of 28% in 2022 to 23% in 2023, national absenteeism rates remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
- Washington, D.C. reported nearly 50% absenteeism at its peak (now 40%), while Alabama has the lowest rate at 15%, highlighting vast regional differences.
- Liberal-led pandemic policies like extended remote learning and relaxed graduation requirements have inadvertently contributed to persistent absenteeism problems.
America’s Hidden Educational Crisis
The devastating effects of pandemic-era school closures continue to plague America’s education system, with chronic absenteeism emerging as one of the most persistent and troubling aftershocks. National data reveals an alarming 89% increase in chronic absenteeism by 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels. Despite some improvement, the current rates remain substantially higher than before COVID struck. This attendance crisis disproportionately impacts students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, creating yet another obstacle for those already facing significant challenges.
The definition of chronic absenteeism—missing more than 10% of the school year—fails to capture the full scope of the problem. Not only are more students chronically absent, but the severity of absenteeism has intensified. “Absences are both more common for everybody, but they are also more extreme,” said Jacob Kirksey, education professor at Texas Tech University.
Income Gap: The True Dividing Line
While the educational establishment often focuses on racial disparities, research shows that income—not race—is the predominant factor in chronic absenteeism. Data from states like Virginia and North Carolina demonstrates significant attendance gaps between low-income and non-low-income students, with these disparities widening since the pandemic. When researchers control for income, racial differences in attendance become relatively minor, highlighting how progressive policies have particularly failed working-class families regardless of race.
“The income gap really was the main driver that showed up over and over again,” said Morgan Polikoff, education professor at the University of Southern California.
The statistics tell a disturbing story. In states such as North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia, chronic absenteeism has more than doubled from 17% in 2019 to 37% in 2023. While there has been some improvement from the peak of 28% nationwide in 2022 to 23% in 2023, these figures remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, suggesting a “new normal” that threatens the educational future of millions of American children.
Failed Pandemic Policies and Their Lasting Impact
The extended school closures championed by teachers’ unions and Democrat-led states have left lasting damage on student engagement. Progressive pandemic policies—including remote learning, easier graduation requirements, and relaxed attendance tracking—have inadvertently contributed to the current crisis. Many students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, found themselves disconnected from educational institutions during COVID and have struggled to return to regular attendance patterns.
“When looking in absolute terms, the most disadvantaged groups are typically more likely to have seen larger increases in chronic absenteeism,” notes Morgan Polikoff, education professor at the University of Southern California.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that some students now prefer staying home and engaging with computers rather than attending school in person—a direct consequence of pandemic-era remote learning. As one 21-year-old bluntly put it, “[Absenteeism is] what the corona did.” This attitude represents the cultural shift that occurred when schools closed their doors for extended periods, leaving many students disengaged from traditional educational environments.
State-by-State Disparities Reveal Policy Failures
The variance in absenteeism rates across states provides a stark illustration of policy effectiveness. Alabama, with an absenteeism rate that peaked at 18% in 2022 and has since declined to 15%, stands in sharp contrast to Washington, D.C., where rates approached 50% at their height and remain at a staggering 40%. These disparities reflect differences in pandemic responses, with more conservative states generally returning to in-person learning more quickly than their liberal counterparts.
“I have a question that keeps me up at night. That question is ‘What’s the new normal going to be?'” said Nat Malkus, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Despite various attempts to combat chronic absenteeism—including home visits, attendance incentives, and adjusted bus routes—success has been limited. These piecemeal approaches fail to address the fundamental issues created by prolonged school closures and the systemic breakdown of educational norms. The persistence of high absenteeism rates, particularly among low-income populations, underscores the catastrophic impact of liberal pandemic policies on America’s most vulnerable students.
