Report: Nearly 23% of US children chronically absent from school

A new report says that almost one out of every four kids in American schools was missing a lot of class last year.

Missing a lot of school is called chronic absenteeism.

That means a student missed at least 10% of the school year — like missing three or more weeks.

The good news is that this is better than it was in 2022.

The bad news is that many kids are still missing more school than they did before the pandemic.

The people who wrote the report say the improvement is slowing down, which worries them.

They say schools, families, and leaders need to act now to help kids come to school.

Missing school makes it harder for kids to learn and also can affect their happiness and health.

Some states, like Alaska and New Mexico, have more kids missing school than others.

The report says the problem is biggest in neighborhoods that have had fewer resources and opportunities.

Kids who miss many days of school when they are very young are less likely to read well by third grade.