New York City changed how its schools handle attendance, but the number of students missing class did not move. About one in three public school students were chronically absent during the 2025-26 school year, the same share as the year before. Chalkbeat New York reported the figures, which come from the Mayor's Management Report released on September 17, 2026. The city's Education Department overhauled its attendance policies in June 2026, yet the rate stayed flat. A student counts as chronically absent after missing at least 10 percent of the school year.
The rate is much higher than it was before the pandemic. According to Chalkbeat, about one in four children were chronically absent before COVID. During the 2021-22 school year, the rate rose to 40 percent, the highest in decades, when students came back to classrooms full time. Rates have dropped since that peak, but they are still well above the level from before the pandemic.
The burden is not shared evenly. Chalkbeat reported that the hardest hurdles fall on the neediest students, especially those who are homeless. Students with disabilities also struggle to attend, and busing problems often make it worse.
Missing school means missed learning time, and chronic absenteeism is often linked to poor grades, Chalkbeat reported. Dr. Kenya Parks pointed to deeper causes. She is the medical director of the pediatric school-based health program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "There are these socioeconomic factors that sort of weigh in, and that's where it becomes really complex," she said. Parks said children who stop coming to school early in life often have a poor outlook later for jobs, health, and quality of life. She said she would like to see schools and doctors work together.
The city is taking new steps. The June rules ask schools to build intervention plans, such as Success Mentors, after-school activities, mental health support, and referrals to services, according to Chalkbeat. Every school must add a school avoidance liaison this year. That person helps students who miss long stretches because of social or emotional disabilities, such as severe anxiety or depression. The rules also tell schools to work with parents and students on attendance success plans. Education Department officials did not respond to a request for comment.