Chronic absenteeism from school has dropped significantly in Rhode Island.
That’s according to a recent report from the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, a business-backed fiscal watchdog. It shows that 22% of kids missed at least 10% of school days last academic year, down from 34% in the 2021-22 school year.
RIPEC director of policy and research Justine Oliva said Providence and Central Falls saw the biggest improvements in reducing absenteeism.
“They used data to reach out on a daily basis to families when students were missing school,” Oliva said. “When they did reach out to families, they took a collaborative approach, so they worked with families to get students back into school, providing services when needed.”
Despite the recent progress, Rhode Island schools overall are still seeing higher levels of absenteeism than before the pandemic.
Oliva says that’s why state lawmakers should support legislation requiring local districts to adopt effective absence-reduction policies.
“We know what works,” Oliva said. “We’ve seen districts make really meaningful change. We just need to see it applied across the state. ”
Oliva admits, however, that lawmakers are normally hesitant to impose state mandates on school districts. Legislation aimed at combating absenteeism failed to advance in the General Assembly in 2024 and was not reintroduced last year.
