WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden paid a visit to a school in the nation’s capital on Aug. 28 to mark the start of the school year.
Many schools across the country have seen an increase in chronic student absenteeism since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Washington among the hardest hit. A new study found that millions of U.S. students were chronically absent last year, missing at least 10 percent of the school year.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have had a negative impact on schools and students. Since schools reopened during the pandemic, student absenteeism has reached record levels nationwide.
A study by Stanford University education professor Thomas Dee and The Associated Press found that more than 25 percent of students are chronically absent, compared to 15 percent prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public school absenteeism in Washington is among the worst in the nation.
The study also found that an estimated 6.5 million additional students have become chronically absent. Absences are more widespread among Latino, black, and low-income students, according to the analysis.
Another study by the National Center for Education Statistics last year found that more than 80 percent of U.S. public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted student behavior and socio-emotional development. Public schools reported needing more support for student mental health, according to the study.
“Compared to a typical school year prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 72 percent of U.S. public schools reported an increase in chronic absenteeism among their students,” the report stated. During the same period, 72 percent of public schools reported an increase in teacher absences, as well.
According to a statement from the White House, President Biden secured $130 billion through the American Rescue Plan “to help schools safely reopen, stay open, and address the academic and mental health needs of students” in what it called “the largest investment” in the country’s public school system. The plan was designed to help students return to school and recover academically, but given the dismal recovery, some are questioning if the president’s approach is working.
There’s still work to be done, and the president is committed to doing more to assist schools and children, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Aug. 28.
“Remember when the president walked in, more than 50 percent of schools were shut down because of COVID, because the last administration didn’t have a comprehensive plan to deal with COVID,” she said.
Ms. Jean-Pierre said that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will go on a nationwide bus tour to explain how the administration is working to improve schools.
