High school absences in Mississippi cause chronic absenteeism rate to climb

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released the 2024-25 Chronic Absenteeism Report.

According to the agency, Mississippi’s chronic absenteeism rate rose to 27.6%, representing 120,408 students who missed important instructional time in the last school year. They said this reflects an increase from the 2023-24 rate of 24.4%.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year (equivalent to 18 days) for any reason, which includes excused and unexcused absences and suspensions. The 2024-25 report shows approximately one-third of all absences were excused. 

“When students are not in school, they are missing valuable instruction from their teachers and social interaction with their peers,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. “Missing 18 or more days of school has serious consequences for academic achievement and long-term success. We need families, educators and community partners to join forces to combat chronic absenteeism.”

According to the report, chronic absenteeism rates declined in elementary and middle school from 2023-24 to 2024-25 but increased from 30% to 39% in high school. This suggests excessive absences among high school students have driven the statewide rise in chronic absenteeism.

MDE’s efforts to help districts and schools address absenteeism include:

• School attendance officers working statewide to help families eliminate barriers to school attendance 
• MDE’s attendance awareness campaign, Every School Day Counts – Attend to Achieve, that highlights the benefits of regular school attendance and provides an Attendance Awareness Toolkit with resources and materials to promote attendance  
• Partnership with the National Dropout Prevention Center to provide professional development for district and school teams 
• September 2025 Statewide Chronic Absenteeism and Dropout Prevention Conference focused on innovative strategies to boost student engagement and best practices to effectively address chronic absenteeism