School absences have long-term impacts on student outcomes.

Chronic absenteeism—missing at least 10% of the school year (18 days)—has a strong link to academic underachievement; research suggests it contributed to pandemic-era learning loss and the subsequent slow recovery. Absences below the chronic threshold also may have a bearing on achievement.
When students miss school in early grades, the pattern can continue into later years, with the negative academic effects accumulating over time. Frequent absences also may lead to delayed socioemotional development and to higher dropout rates.
Even when students have few absences themselves, chronic absenteeism among peers can hurt their academic performance, as it disrupts teaching practices and classroom dynamics.

Chronic absenteeism rates in California remain stubbornly high, despite recent improvements.

The statewide rate of chronic absenteeism in 2024–25 was 19%, or 1.1 million California students; it has fallen steadily from its peak (30%) in 2021–22 but remains above the 2018–19 rate of 12%. The rate of improvement slowed in the last year.
On average, students with any absences missed 13 days in 2024–25, a drop from 17 days in 2021–22. The number is still above the pre-pandemic average of 10 days. The average chronically absent student missed 33 days in 2024–25, far exceeding the 18-day threshold.

Students in grades 9–12 had the highest chronic absenteeism rates in 2024–25 at 24%, followed by transitional kindergarten and kindergarten (TK–K) at 23%. TK–K students showed the greatest improvement, down from a peak of 40% in 2021–22, while grades 9–12 showed the least improvement, down from 30%.
In 2024–25, nearly a third of Native American, Black, and Pacific Islander students were chronically absent—far more than Latino (22%) and white (15%) students and over three times the share of Asian (8%) and Filipino (9%) students.
Nearly one-third of non-binary students were chronically absent in 2024–25, and the average student missed 20 days—much higher than male and female students, who shared similar rates that mirror the state average.
Chronic absenteeism was highest among foster youth and students experiencing homelessness in 2024–25 (35–37%; 19–20 days). Students with disabilities and low-income students also had above average rates.
Recent immigration enforcement activities have increased student absences in California and other states, particularly affecting English Learners and younger students.

California funds schools based on attendance, meaning districts lose revenue when students miss school for any reason. Estimates indicate that a switch to enrollment-based funding would alleviate that concern, but experts caution that the move could reduce district incentives to increase attendance.
California’s new Attendance Recovery program allows districts to offer supplemental instruction so students can make up absences and districts can recover funding.

Students face multiple, often overlapping challenges that contribute to absenteeism, including issues related to health, family obligations, transportation, housing, lack of student engagement, and a devaluing of regular school attendance after remote learning. Many of these barriers extend beyond schools’ direct control.
More research is needed on the effectiveness of attendance interventions—such as text/email nudges, incentive programs, and family conferences—but districts can still take action by using real-time data to identify at-risk students while layering universal prevention with targeted supports.