Elmhurst D205 Teacher Absenteeism Above State Average

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205's teacher absenteeism rate is above the state average, according to the Illinois Report Card.

The state measures the percentage of teachers who are absent for at least 10 days. Patch reviewed the rates in 14 area districts.

Last school year, 36 percent of Elmhurst's teachers were missing for 10 or more days. That was down from 40 percent in 2022-23 and 44 percent in 2021-2022.

The statewide average last school year was 34 percent.

In Elmhurst, the schools with the highest rates of teachers gone for at least 10 days were the Early Childhood Center at 56 percent and Lincoln Elementary at 54 percent.

The lowest rates were 26 percent at Bryan Middle School and 25 percent at Hawthorne Elementary. York High was at 36 percent.

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, 2023-2024