Half Of Milwaukee Students Were 'Chronically Absent' In 2023: Report

MILWAUKEE — Half of all Milwaukee Public School students were "chronically absent" in 2023, according to a new analysis from the New York Times.

Chronic absenteeism — which has "exploded" since the COVID-19 pandemic-era lockdowns, is defined as missing 10 percent of a school year, the report states.

MPS had a chronic absenteeism rate of 37 percent in 2019, before the pandemic. It jumped to 50 percent in 2023.

Madison Public Schools saw rates jump from 18 percent to 35 percent during the same period.

Nationwide, the chornic absenteeism rate jumped from 15 percent in 2019 to 26 percent in 2023.

Read the full NYT report here.