TOLEDO, Ohio — More than a quarter of all students in Ohio were chronically absent from school last year, according to the Ohio Department of Education. This has created challenges not just for students, but for teachers too.

“We need to have them in school in order to be able to do our jobs and to make sure that they get the best education possible,” said Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers.

Chronic absence is defined as a student being out of the classroom for 10% of the school year. ODE says students averaged well above that threshold last year at 25%.

“During the pandemic, it (chronic absenteeism) peaked at 30% ... Before the pandemic, it was around 17%,” said Jeff Wensing, president of the Ohio Education Association. “We're kind of in between those numbers

See Full Page