One in three Arizona high school students were chronically absent from school in the 2023-24 school year, according to a report released last week by Helios Education Foundation in partnership with WestEd.

Despite recovering from peak levels during the pandemic, the 34% absentee rate remains at least 10 points higher than pre-pandemic levels.

“Chronic absence profoundly affects individual high school students and the broader educational community,” the report said. “Its consequences are wide-ranging and impact academic performance, the quality of the classroom and school environment, and the long-term trajectories students follow into higher education and adulthood.”

The report, titled “Missing Too Much High School: An Analysis of Arizona Chronic Absence Trends in Grades 9-12,” emphasiz

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