Indiana’s K-12 chronic absenteeism rate declined for the fourth consecutive year, reaching just under 15% in 2026, the State Board of Education learned Wednesday. This ongoing reduction signals a slow return to pre-pandemic attendance patterns for Hoosier students.
Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year. This is equivalent to 18 school days or three weeks of classes, and both excused and unexcused absences count toward this rate. The state’s chronic absenteeism peaked in K-12 schools at 21% in 2022, a figure twice the pre-pandemic rate.
Excessive absences remain most acute at the high school level. For the 2025-26 school year, 30% of seniors missed at least 10% of their school days. Education Secretary Katie Jenner attributed a likely reason for these absences to apathy. Student focus groups conducted by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) found that the most common explanation for poor attendance was a belief among students that school lacked relevance. "They didn’t see the value. They could miss (school) and still make it through," Jenner stated.
Ron Sandlin, chief innovation officer for the IDOE, commented that poor attendance in Indiana high schools "underscores the critical work we’re doing around our diploma seals and rethinking high school." The new diploma seals aim to connect each student to an educational pathway they consider relevant to their lives beyond high school. Sandlin expressed optimism that as more students are engaged and given more opportunities in their high school careers, these absenteeism rates will reduce at a disproportionate rate compared to other grades.
Data also indicates a decline in chronic absenteeism among at-risk student populations, including Black, Hispanic, and multi-racial students, English learners, and students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
Some school corporations have shown significant improvement. Springs Valley Community School Corporation reported a dramatic turnaround, with its chronic absenteeism rate falling from 21% in the 2024-25 school year to just 1.7% last school year. State officials attributed this improvement to consistent communication with parents regarding district attendance policies. Lawrence County Independent Schools also saw its absenteeism rate decline from 31.4% to 16.3% in a single year through targeted outreach to students who repeatedly missed school.
The Indiana Department of Education tracks chronic absenteeism because attendance is strongly correlated with academic performance. For the last school year, 74% of students marked chronically absent passed the state IREAD exam. While an improvement from prior years, this still trails the 90% pass rate achieved by students who maintained good attendance that year. Similarly, just shy of 19% of chronically absent students earned proficient math scores last school year, compared to 45% of their peers with good attendance records. A comparable pattern emerged in English language arts proficiency and college readiness, with only 21% of chronically absent students meeting college-ready benchmarks, compared to 42% of their peers who did not miss a lot of school.
To further improve student attendance, state officials are urging school districts to report absences quickly, issue reminder letters to families, and lower the threshold for intervention. Pat Maples, a State Board of Education member and former superintendent of Hamilton Southeastern Schools, inquired about the involvement of county judicial systems. Maples suggested that when "juvenile probation gets involved, and all of a sudden it gets people’s attention," such partnerships can significantly benefit schools.