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Buono: The impacts of chronic absenteeism

Christopher Buono
Valley Voices
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Christopher Buono
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School is out for the summer, but student absenteeism is an issue that we should care about as a community at any time of the year. It’s not an exaggeration to call chronic absenteeism one of the greatest threats to student success. As a high school teacher within the Eagle County School District, I see firsthand how student absences undermine learning, disrupt classroom continuity, and negatively impact academic outcomes.

When students miss school, they miss critical moments of language development, academic discourse and social connection. Teachers work tirelessly to catch them up, but the learning gap tends to compound over time.

The link between attendance and academic achievement is well-documented. To illustrate the point, data from the Colorado Department of Education shows that ninth grade attendance is a better predictor that a student will drop out of high school than their test scores. Chronic absenteeism affects students’ mastery of core subjects, their ability to stay on track with coursework, and their engagement in the classroom.



Moreover, even those students who regularly attend school are adversely affected. Research shows that as absenteeism increases, academic achievement and executive functioning worsen even for those students in attendance. In other words, the educational impact for students who consistently attend school is diminished when teachers must divert their attention to meet the needs of chronically absent students.

According to the Colorado Department of Education, more than 31% of Eagle County School District students are chronically absent — defined as missing 10% or more of school days. For a community and district that prides itself on high expectations and rigorous learning environments, this number is deeply concerning.

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Despite some sizable differences among demographic groups, roughly 50% of all student absences are unexcused. Excused absences are typically granted for illness, family emergencies or religious observances. Unexcused absences include truancy, off-schedule family vacations and personal appointments.

Colorado’s school attendance laws mandate that children attend school regularly, but the state does not specify the minimum number of days students must attend to pass a class or graduate. Such policies are determined by individual school districts. Eagle County School District emphasizes the importance of regular attendance for academic success and often leverages modest consequences for excessive absences. However, these consequences and emphasis appear to be insufficient in the face of chronic absenteeism.

Perhaps another strategy is necessary — not to punish students for already self-defeating behavior, but instead to establish a formal baseline expectation for all students. Schools around the country that implement specific attendance thresholds do so to underscore the importance of consistent attendance for academic success. For instance, some districts require students to maintain a minimum attendance rate — such as 75% or 85%. These schools require students to be present for a minimum number of class sessions or risk not earning course credit.

Critics of such consequences argue that student attendance is a symptom and not a cause, and schools should grade on academic content assimilation, not student behavior. But shouldn’t we establish and maintain minimum acceptable standards to set expectations? Or would we rather tacitly accept an attitude of just enough to pass?

Every missed school day represents a lost opportunity for learning, growth and connection. If we care about student achievement in Eagle County, we must care about student attendance. This is not just a school issue — it’s a community issue.

When we make attendance a priority, we invest in our children’s futures. When we remove barriers to getting students in the door, we create conditions for academic success. Eagle County students deserve the chance to thrive, but that chance begins with being present in the classroom.

Christopher Buono is a secondary school English Language Arts educator who lives in Eagle with his wife and their teenage daughter.

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