DC Council sounds alarm as schools continue to see spike in chronic absenteeism
WASHINGTON (7News) — The D.C. Council is sounding the alarm as schools continue to see a high number of students who are chronically absent or just never show up at all.
School Board member Frazier O’Leary read off the numbers during a Tuesday meeting.
“High schools, Anacostia 81.9%, Cardoza 66.9%...those are horrifying figures,” he said.
The Council’s Committee of the Whole took up the post-COVID problem and though numbers are slightly better than 2022, they are still high.
The discussion comes after a report showed 40% of D.C. students missed 10% or more school days.
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“It requires that we are all on the same page that school is not optional,” said Councilmember Brooke Pinto.
However, in the District, it often seems that is not the case.
7News spoke with two students from Ballou STAY High School; one said absenteeism feeds into itself.
“When there’s a lot of people at school, it makes you want to come to school. When there’s not a lot of people going to school, it makes you feel as if oh, today’s one of those days I don’t want to stay the full day,” student Quincy Jones said.
“I go to school because I need to get this education, need to get out of here and try to get a job,” said student John Clark.
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A parent gave another reason, speaking about her daughter who is a special needs student.
“My daughter often has doctor’s visits, follow-up visits, evaluations because she’s going through medical and mental health,” parent LaJoy Johnson-Lewis said.
Whatever the reason, chronic absences are supposed to be reported to Child and Family Services, but one councilmember said that is not happening.
“That means a full assessment of why kids are not in school is not being done for a majority of the kids who need one,” said Councilmember Janeese Lewis George.