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First readWhat to know+
Topic: Chronic school absence in Texas public schoolsKey Stat: 1 in 5 Texas students missed 18+ school days in 2023-24Most Affected: Black, Hispanic, low-income students, and students with disabilitiesBigger Problem: Missing school can also mean missing meals, health care, and safe housingTrend: Absence rates dropped a little but are still much higher than before COVID
Next rungHow to step in+
Good first step: Act Your child's school or Houston ISD attendance office
Call or visit your school and ask: 'What programs help students who miss a lot of school? How can I help my child or a neighbor's child stay on track?'
About 1 in 5 Texas public school students missed at least 18 days of class in 2023-24. That rate is still roughly double what it was before the pandemic, and progress has been slow. Black, Hispanic, low-income students, and students with disabilities are most affected. Missing school can also mean losing access to meals, health care, and stable housing — not just classroom learning.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) tracks chronic absenteeism across all public schools. In 2023-24, 19% of Texas students met the threshold. That is down slightly from a peak of about 25% in 2021-22, but still far above the 11% rate recorded in 2018-19, before the pandemic. Absence rates rose for every student group after the pandemic and have stayed high. In the Houston area, rates have run slightly below the state average. A new state law now labels chronically absent students as 'at risk' of dropping out, which may help connect more of them to school support services.
You can use this information to start conversations at your child's school, ask questions about attendance support programs, and understand what resources may be available if a child in your life is missing class often. Early habits matter too — research from the Kinder Institute found that children who attended public pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs in the Houston area were slightly less likely to be chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade.
No fixed date
Not location-specific
This issue connects to food access (many students rely on school meals), neighborhood health resources, early childhood education, and housing stability. If your family or a neighbor's family is dealing with any of those pressures, reaching out to your school's family liaison or a local social service organization is a good first step.
Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of the school year — is linked to lower test scores, weaker reading and math skills, a higher risk of dropping out, and struggles with anxiety and loneliness. Researchers at Rice University's Kinder Institute point out that schools often connect students to food, health care, and safe housing. When a child misses school, they may lose those lifelines too.
