Hoosier students are slowly returning to their pre-pandemic attendance patterns: Indiana’s K-12 chronic absenteeism rate declined for the fourth consecutive year to just shy of 15% in 2026, the State Board of Education learned Wednesday.

Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year, the equivalent of 18 school days or three weeks of classes.

Excused and unexcused absences are both counted toward this rate.

Chronic absenteeism peaked in Indiana K-12 schools at 21% in 2022 — twice the pre-pandemic rate.

Excessive absences are most acute in high school, with 30% of seniors missing at least 10% of days for the 2025-26 school year.

One likely reason for their absence: apathy.

Student focus groups conducted by the Indiana Department of Education found the most common explanation for poor attendance was a belief that school wasn’t relevant, Education Secretary Katie Jenner said.

“They didn’t see the value,” she said. “They could miss (school) and still make it through.”

Ron Sandlin, chief innovation officer for the department, said poor attendance at Indiana high schools “underscores the critical work we’re doing around our diploma seals and rethinking high school.”

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The purpose of the new diploma seals, he said, is to connect each student to an educational pathway they deem relevant to their lives beyond high school.

“As we engage more students and give more opportunities in their high school career, we will start to see those rates reduce at a disproportionate rate relative to the other grades,” Sandlin said.

Data shows chronic absenteeism is declining among at-risk student populations, including Black, Hispanic and multi-racial students, English learners and students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

Springs Valley Community School Corporation reported a dramatic turnaround in its chronic absenteeism rate, which fell from 21% in the 2024-25 school year to just 1.7% last school year.

State officials attributed the improvement to consistent communication with parents about district attendance policies.

Lawrence County Independent Schools 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.

Sandlin said 74% of students marked chronically absent last school year passed the state IREAD exam — an improvement from prior years, yet it still trails the 90% pass rate for students who maintained good attendance that year.

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 similar pattern is evident 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 didn’t miss a lot of school.

State officials are urging school districts to report absences quickly, issue reminder letters to families and lower the threshold for intervention to improve student attendance.

Pat Maples, the former superintendent of Hamilton Southeastern Schools and current State Board of Education member, asked if county judicial systems are getting involved to remind parents of the consequences of excessive absences.

“I think that’s a partnership that makes a difference for the school when juvenile probation gets involved, and all of a sudden it gets people’s attention,” he said.

Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.