Teacher Absenteeism Falls In Darien Districts

DARIEN, IL – The rates of teacher absenteeism in Darien's three elementary school districts were below the state average last school year, according to the Illinois Report Card.

The state measures the percentage of teachers who are absent for at least 10 days.

Locally, Center Cass District 66 reported the highest absenteeism rate locally last school year, with 25 percent who missed at least 10 days, down from 36 percent. Cass School District 63 and Darien School District 61 were 20 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

Those numbers compare to a statewide rate of 34 percent.

The previous year, Cass was at 38 percent and Darien was at 16 percent.

Over the last few years, Darien District 61 has seen a big drop in teacher absenteeism. In 2021-22, 47 percent of teachers were absent for at least 10 days.

Last school year, Hinsdale High School District 86 saw a rate of 42 percent of teachers who were absent at least 10 days. That's up from 24 percent from 2023-24, but down from nearly 50 percent the two years before that.

Under state law, the rate excludes absences for professional development, leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, long-term disability or parental leave.

The U.S. Department of Education sees teacher attendance as a leading indicator of student achievement. Teachers with regular attendance provide continuity of instruction and attention to individual students, according to the Illinois Report Card.

"The National Bureau of Economic Research has shown that when teachers are absent for 10 days or more, student outcomes decrease significantly," the report card said. "Teacher absence results in loss of instruction time for students, as well as financial concerns to the district when substitutes must be employed."

Source: Illinois Report Card, 2024-2025