Chronic absenteeism in Georgia's public schools again declined during the 2025-2026 school year, reaching a new post-pandemic low and continuing a five-year trend of improvement.

The rate of chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students absent for 10% or more of enrolled days — dropped to 17.7% during the 2025-2026 school year, down from 19.5% the year before and from a peak of 23.9% in 2021-2022. This decline marks continued progress toward Georgia's commitment to the national 50% Challenge, an initiative to reduce chronic absenteeism by half over five years.

In addition to overall gains, there was notable improvement in the chronic absenteeism rate for grades K-5, which now stands at 13.5%. This is key to sustaining literacy improvements in the early grades over time.

"We know students can't succeed, in or out of the classroom, if they aren't present and engaging in learning," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. "That's why attendance has been a shared priority across the state, and I appreciate the close collaboration of schools and districts along with the leadership of the General Assembly on this issue. Seeing a fifth consecutive year of progress is evidence that Georgia's educators, families, and communities are committed to this work. With that said, we certainly aren't satisfied with or stopping at 17.7%. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we remain committed to ensuring all students have the daily, consistent access to learning opportunities they deserve." 

Hedy Chang, President and CEO of Attendance Works — which leads the 50% Challenge in Partnership with EdTrust and Nat Malkus with AEI — applauded Georgia's commitment to transparent and accessible attendance data. 

"We applaud the Georgia Department of Education's early release of end-of-the-year attendance data, which shows an impressive fifth consecutive year of decreased chronic absence," Chang said. "Releasing this data now is essential to equipping districts and schools to put in place actions to further improve attendance in the subsequent school year. Georgia's commitment to timely end-of-the-year data is a model for how states can make a difference."

School District Highlights

Multiple districts have seen significant reductions in chronic absenteeism, including Whitfield County Schools — where leaders attribute an 11.3% drop in grades 9-12 to intentional use of MTSS practices, stronger family communication, and recognizing success. 

"Our staff come to work each day and ask themselves, 'How can I help my students today?'" said Chris Parker, Chief Student Services Director for Whitfield County Schools. "Their energy, enthusiasm, and perseverance provide students in Whitfield County with a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where learning takes place each day."  

To support school districts, GaDOE's Office of Whole Child Supports has worked closely with educators, Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs), and state agency partners to streamline supports and address barriers to attendance. GaDOE developed an Attendance Advisory Council which provided key feedback and insights resulting in a statewide Community of Practice, the Georgia Goes to School Attendance Toolkit, and the publication of a new Model Attendance Protocol.

"Through participating in the Georgia Department of Education Attendance Advisory Council, an intentional focus on school- and student-level data, collaboration with Attendance Review Teams, and targeted support for students facing attendance barriers, we have been able to reduce chronic absenteeism," said Jonathan McGavin, Director of Student Services for Griffin-Spalding County Schools.

Statewide Attendance Dashboard Enhancements

To build on the state's progress in reducing chronic absenteeism, GaDOE enhanced features within its statewide Attendance Dashboard, which provides real-time attendance data to help districts find potential root causes and determine next steps. Enhancements to the dashboard will allow districts to: 

• Monitor progress toward the requirements of SB 123, the legislation that updates and strengthens Georgia's compulsory school attendance laws, and for school and district Attendance Review Teams
• Track the percentage of students who miss not only 10% or more of enrolled school days — the threshold for chronic absenteesm — but also those missing 20%, 30%, or more
• Analyze attendance trends by region
• Identify trends aong excused and unexcused absences

“We’re grateful for the intentional work of schools, districts, and families to improve student attendance, and for the partnership of organizations like Attendance Works, the Center on Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at UGA." said Justin Hill, GaDOE Deputy Superintendent for Whole Child Supports. "Through Georgia’s Multi-tiered Systems of Supports, schools are identifying attendance barriers earlier, using data to target supports, and creating stronger, more engaging learning environments. This approach is helping more students stay connected to school, attend consistently, and remain on track for success.”