School districts across Iowa to address chronic absenteeism in new year

DES MOINES, Iowa — School districts across Iowa are focused on lowering chronic absenteeism during this school year.

A recent study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that 26% of Iowa students are chronically absent. A student is considered chronically absent when they miss 10% or more of classes.

A new law signed last May outlines guidelines for districts to follow to lower the rate of chronic absenteeism. This includes notifying the county attorney and the student’s parents/guardians when a student becomes chronically absent, and if a student misses 15% or more of the grading period, a school official must investigate the cause through a school engagement meeting with the child and their parents/guardians.

The law also states that the county attorney’s role is to enforce the attendance laws. Violations of absenteeism prevention plans or attendance laws can result in public offenses.

Around 30% of Des Moines students in grades 1-12 were chronically absent during the last school year.

Des Moines Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts said the district is addressing this issue during this school year. The district is making attendance a priority.

“We have shared with every single teammate in the district, and happy to share that they are invested in this. This is not the job or the work of a single group of teammates. It’s not a counselor’s job, it’s not a success workers job, it’s every single person’s responsibility,” said Roberts.

Des Moines Public Schools launched a new campaign this year called “Everyday Matters” to encourage attendance. Roberts also said that they will notify parents/guardians after every absence, which is more than the new law requires, but they’re hoping it will help limit absences.

The Marshalltown Community School District started addressing chronic absenteeism during the last school year and believes they built the foundation to lower chronic absenteeism in their schools during this school year.

During the 2023-2024 school year, around 20% of elementary school students, 30% of middle school students, and 40% of high school students in Marshalltown were chronically absent.

Superintendent Theron Schutte said, “Chronic absenteeism has always been a challenge for us, I think, largely due to the nature of our overall population of students and families, but it definitely has been amplified post-pandemic.”

Schutte said that during the pandemic, schools encouraged students to stay home if they have minor illnesses, in case the student had COVID-19, in order to prevent the virus from spreading. However, now many students continue to stay home even with minor symptoms. He said they’re trying to get back to a pre-pandemic standard for sickness.

Plus, the makeup of Marshalltown’s population is also a contributing factor. About 70% of Marshalltown’s students have free or reduced lunch. Schutte said that his students’ socio-economic standings are one reason for chronic absenteeism because many high school juniors and seniors have part-time and even full-time jobs.

Marshalltown schools also have a large immigrant population. English is the second language for close to 40% of the students in the district. Schutte said it’s common for students to take extended trips to visit their families in other countries, especially around the holidays.

During the 2023-2024 school year, the district used different methods to combat absenteeism. They hired a district attendance coordinator, whose only role is to work on this issue. They also built attendance teams at every school, who monitor attendance and communicate with families. These teams also help brainstorm and create plans with families to address the problem.

Schutte also said his district reached out to their county attorney’s office to partner with them and leverage some of their resources.

Over the last year, they saw some progress with elementary schools. The superintendent says they were able to build the foundation for these positions last year and they’re hoping to see more progress with attendance this year.

One of the fastest-growing districts in Iowa, the Waukee Community School District, is also working to address chronic absenteeism within their schools.

Superintendent Brad Buck said that Waukee’s overall percentage of chronically absent students has grown over the years and it was amplified by the pandemic.

Buck said the district plans to follow the guidelines outlined by the new law. However, he said some schools independently focused on improving absenteeism in the last school year.

Grant Ragan Elementary School saw an improvement in attendance during the last school year with a positive and welcoming approach. He said an example of this is having teachers say “It’s good to see you,” or “I’m glad you’re here,” when a chronically absent student is at school rather than asking “Where were you?”

Buck is hopeful that implementing the new law and this positive approach at other schools across the district will encourage attendance. However, he noted one possible setback with the new law that parents in his district are raising concerns about.

He said the new law changes how excused and unexcused absences are counted. Typically, the Waukee Community School District excuses an absence if a student is on a college visit. However, on a state level, that absence will not be excused. Buck said it’s common for students to miss four days of school for college visits.

“Best hope is that this [the new law] gets underway and does what it’s intended to do, which is get kids in school more often,” said the superintendent.

The Department of Education did not provide a statement for clarity on this possible setback.

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