Ohio’s chronic absenteeism rate, which measures students missing 10% or more of school hours for any reason, has decreased in recent years but is still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2025-26 school year, the statewide rate stood at 23.7%, according to data from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW).
Despite the downward trend, experts emphasize the need for continued improvement. Arya Ansari, a faculty associate at Ohio State University’s Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, noted that while there are incremental improvements, the state should not settle. Ansari expressed hope that Ohio’s chronic absenteeism rate could return to pre-pandemic levels within the next five to ten years, acknowledging it will not be a quick fix. He stated that “there’s not a single solution that’s going to move the needle to where we were pre-COVID.”
Chronic absenteeism has significant consequences for students. Ansari explained that students who are frequently absent perform less well academically, socially, and behaviorally. A 2022 report from the Crane Center highlighted that a single school day missed equates to approximately 2.5 days of lost math learning and 1.5 days of lost language and literacy learning. Ansari described a “snowball effect” where it becomes challenging for students to catch up once they fall behind.
Several complex factors contribute to chronic absenteeism, according to Ansari. He pointed to poverty as an underlying barrier, leading to issues such as housing instability, food insecurity, and impacts on the physical and mental health of both children and their families. Additionally, he noted that standard school hours can conflict with the schedules of families who work evening shifts or multiple jobs.
Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest district with about 45,000 students, provides a local example of the challenge. The district experienced a slight increase in chronic absenteeism during the 2025-26 school year, rising from 52.6% in 2024-25. This rate was 65% in the 2021-22 school year, compared to 32.7% pre-pandemic during the 2019-20 school year. Columbus City Schools Superintendent Angela Chapman believes that reducing absenteeism is one of the most effective ways to improve student education, test scores, report cards, and graduation rates, according to district spokesperson Michael Brown. Brown added that even a few missed school days can hinder a student’s learning journey.
Efforts are underway to address this issue. The Stay in the Game! Attendance Network collaborates with more than 200 school districts to improve attendance. Managed by Battelle Education, the network was established in 2019 by the Cleveland Browns Foundation, ODEW, and Harvard’s Proving Ground. Janet Walton, network director for the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, emphasized the importance of attendance, stating that students who have never been chronically absent are about three and a half times more likely to read on grade level by the end of third grade.
Walton noted a shift in how school attendance was valued during the COVID-19 pandemic. The network’s work involves helping school districts identify student groups struggling with chronic absenteeism, determine the root causes, and then intentionally plan interventions to address them. While pleased with observed decreases in absenteeism, Walton indicated that this challenge requires a long-term commitment.
