Elmhurst Teacher Absences Worse Than State Average

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205's teacher absenteeism rate is worse than the state average.

The rate is also higher than that in most neighboring school systems, as well as peer districts with which District 205 likes to compare.

According to the Illinois Report Card, 45 percent of District 205's 630 teachers missed at least 10 days last school year.

That is up from 36 percent a year earlier.

Over nearly a decade, last year's rate was the highest, although 2022's was 44 percent. In most years, the local teacher absenteeism rate was above the state average, which was 34 percent last year.

Of 14 area districts, only La Grange School District 105's rate of 48 percent was higher than Elmhurst's.

Patch also checked the rates of seven other wealthy, kindergarten-through-12th-grade districts with which District 205 sometimes compares itself. Of those, only Indian Prairie School District 204 recorded a higher rate than Elmhurst's, at 51 percent.

The lowest rate in Elmhurst was Bryan Middle School's 33 percent; it had the second-lowest last year. The highest was Emerson Elementary School's 52 percent. York High, the biggest school, was at 45 percent.

Tonya Daniels, District 205's spokesperson, did not return a message about teacher absenteeism from a week ago.

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."

Here is a look at the rates in neighboring districts:

Here is a look at the rates in districts with which District 205 likes to compare itself:

Source: Illinois Report Card, 2024-2025