Despite a slight increase in attendance last year, chronic absenteeism remains high in South Dakota—affecting nearly 1 in 5 students. A new RAND report confirms this is a national issue heading into the new school year according to reporting from Northern Plains News.
South Dakota considers a student chronically absent if they miss more than 10% of school days. The report found Chronic absenteeism rose from 14% in 2018–2019 to 21% in 2022–2023. Attendance improved slightly to 87% in 2023–2024. Chronic absenteeism among Native American students remains alarmingly high—51% in 2023–2024. Nationawide, Urban districts show extreme absenteeism (30%+), with “sickness” cited as the top reason. One in four youths don’t view chronic absence as a problem.
The Department of Education launched targeted grants in late 2023 to help high-needs districts. Schools use SD-STARS and public report cards to track absenteeism by grade and subgroup
The fall 2025 accountability report will reveal whether attendance gains hold and chronic absence declines.
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