Indiana education leaders tout another statewide drop in chronic absenteeism in schools

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Absenteeism in Indiana public schools fell for the third consecutive year in the 2024-25 school year, state data shows.

The Indiana Department of Education said in a news release Friday that absenteeism — defined as a student missing at least 10% of school days, or about three and a half weeks — fell to 16.7% during last school year, an improvement of 1.1 percentage points.

"As states across the nation struggle with chronic absenteeism, in Indiana, we continue to make positive progress," Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in a news release. "This is made possible through our parents and educators across the state who continue to work together to best support each learner, empower our students through learning that directly connects to their future, and improve educational and lifelong outcomes."

Below are some other key stats from the new data:

Indiana’s chronic absenteeism rate is moving in the right direction, improving for three consecutive years. Statewide, chronic absenteeism has improved 4.4 percentage points since 2022 when chronic absenteeism rates were greater than 21%, yet there is more work to do to return to pre-pandemic levels (10.6%).
Data show that many student populations who experienced the greatest academic impacts in ELA and math following the pandemic are improving more quickly than the state overall.
- Black students - Improved 1.6 percentage points
- Hispanic students - Improved 1.2 percentage points
- Students receiving free/reduced price meals - Improved 1.7 percentage points
The number of schools improving their chronic absenteeism rates to below 10% is growing. In 2025, nearly 800 schools had a chronic absenteeism rate of less than 10%, compared to fewer than 700 schools in 2024, yet 78 schools have more than 50% of students who are chronically absent.
Rates of chronic absenteeism continue to be the highest in grades nine through 12. Nearly one in three Hoosier students are chronically absent during their senior year.
- This underscores the urgency behind our ongoing work to rethink the high school experience and ensure more parents and students see the value in education.
Students who are chronically absent are significantly less likely to read by third grade, master key ELA and math skills, or be college-ready.

"The data is clear: regular student attendance is vital to ensuring more students master foundational literacy and numeracy skills and graduate high school prepared for their next step," Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a news release. "As statewide chronic absenteeism rates continue to move in the right direction – improving for the third consecutive year – we know there is still more to be done. Together, we must continue to elevate the value of education and the direct link between attendance and long-term success."

A law new in Indiana this year changes how school districts track absences and reports them to the state. Whether a student's absence is excused or unexcused, all absences will be recorded by school districts and sent to the state's department of education. It applies for all children from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The law also said districts can't expel or suspend a student solely because of absences or truancy.

The goal is to address chronic absences, which is considered to any student who misses 10% or more of the school year for any reason. The latest data from the Indiana Department of Education shows in 2023 nearly 20% of students across Indiana were counted as chronically absent.

A memo sent to superintendents and principals highlights what the new law means for schools. Administrators can meet with parents about students missing too many days and provide resources that may help.