The COVID-19 pandemic pushed students out of schools — but now, some aren’t coming back. Since the 2018-2019 school year, rates of chronic absenteeism (the act of missing 10% or more of the school year) have increased from 10.6% to 20.1% in Virginia.
Chronic absenteeism has drawn national attention, as rates have almost doubled across the country since the pre-COVID school years. On both national and state levels, administrations have announced plans to address the problem.
Loudoun County is no different. Just last week, parents received an email notifying them of a revision to LCPS’ attendance policy.
The policy outlines reasons for excused versus unexcused absences, compulsory attendance and potential withdrawal from enrollment.
Schools will notify parents or guardians of absent students to determine if the absence is excused. If a student receives five or more unexcused absences or demonstrates constant absenteeism, the parent or guardian will be contacted for an intervention.
Excused absences include: personal illness or injury, death in the family, military obligations, court appearances, school suspensions and medical appointments. School trips, emergencies and civic activities may also be excused for one day. If a student is absent for 15 consecutive school days or more they will be withdrawn from LCPS and must reenroll.
Consistent absence from school correlates with lower academic achievement. Chronically absent students are more likely to drop out of high school and score poorly on tests.
Chronic absenteeism is also associated with other factors that result in poor academic performance, such as poverty and disability.
Attendance is often a factor in a school’s accreditation (a rating given to schools based on adherence to state guidelines). During the pandemic, the Virginia Department of Education suspended factoring attendance into assessing a school’s accreditation. The VDOE has since repealed this decision.
Despite these potential consequences, many students are still unwilling to consistently attend school. Reasons for chronic absenteeism vary, but LCPS stresses that attitudes towards attendance often start with a student’s family.
As part of their policy, LCPS promises to support students who are chronically absent, emphasizing communication between students, staff and parents.
