TL;DR
Get baby and family essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
About 24% of California’s youngest students were chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year, compared with 19% of students statewide, according to figures cited by The 74. State data for 2025-26 is due in October and will cover the first year transitional kindergarten was widely available to families. Educators say illness and family routines contribute to missed days, while warning that absences can interrupt early learning.
About 24% of California’s youngest students were chronically absent during the 2024-25 school year, compared with 19% of all students, according to data cited in a report by The 74. The figures highlight persistent attendance challenges in transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten; statewide results for 2025-26 are expected in October, offering the first attendance data from a school year when TK was widely available to families.
California defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% or more of school days in a school year. In a typical 180-day year, that amounts to about 18 days, or 3.5 weeks. The statewide rate across all grades has fallen from a pandemic-era peak of 30% in 2021-22, but the rate among TK and kindergarten students remains comparatively high, the report says.
School administrators cited illness and the adjustment to school routines as common reasons younger children miss class. Children starting group settings may encounter frequent colds, particularly if they have not attended preschool or another early-learning program, said Kara Stern, director of education at SchoolStatus, which works with 123 California school districts. Families may also underestimate how much early-grade learning happens each day, said Jessica Hull of Roseville City School District.
Roseville City, a district of about 12,000 students in Placer County, has used attendance letters, calls to families and graphics showing how absences accumulate. State data show its overall chronic absenteeism rate fell from nearly 26% in 2021-22 to 10.5% in 2024-25, despite enrollment growth. The district’s TK and kindergarten students continued to have higher absence rates than older students, prompting a more targeted communications effort for those families.
Early Absences Can Disrupt Learning
Attendance in TK and kindergarten matters because these years introduce foundational skills and routines. Hull said missing class can mean missing the building blocks that support later reading, math, writing and science. The report also cites research finding that children chronically absent in TK or kindergarten are about twice as likely to transfer to another school district. That finding describes an association, not proof that absences cause students to transfer.
Researchers cited in the report say kindergarten reading and basic math skills can help predict academic achievement by third grade and beyond. Regular attendance may also help families and students establish routines—such as waking up on time and getting to school—that can support attendance in later grades. The data do not show that every absence leads to lasting academic harm, but they raise concern about repeated missed instruction during early learning.
The issue also presents a practical challenge for families and schools: children do get sick, and parents must decide when a child should stay home. District communications can help families understand both the value of daily instruction and how individual absences add up over time.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Attendance Since the Pandemic Peak
California’s overall chronic absenteeism rate reached 30% in 2021-22, when schools were reopening after pandemic-related closures, according to the report. Nearly 2 million TK-12 students were chronically absent that year. Districts then began multi-year efforts to bring students back into classrooms.
Roseville City’s campaign included letters explaining attendance expectations, outreach to families whose children missed school, and information about early-grade lessons. Hull said the district’s messaging recognizes that families may not be tracking the number of days missed. The district now sends more individualized notices, such as telling a family that a child has missed five days in the first two months and may be on course to meet the chronic-absence threshold.
The next statewide release will cover the 2025-26 school year. The report describes it as the first year TK was widely available to all families, making the new figures a point of interest for education officials and administrators. The source does not provide the forthcoming results or establish how expanded TK access may affect attendance.
“If they are missing school, they are missing out on the building blocks, and it will impact them for the rest of their lives.”
— Jessica Hull, executive director of communication and community engagement at Roseville City School District
early childhood education activity kits
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What the New Data Will Show
The 2025-26 statewide attendance figures have not yet been released; the report says they are expected in October. It is not yet clear whether chronic absenteeism among TK and kindergarten students rose or fell in that school year, or how the wider availability of TK affected attendance patterns.
The figures cited in the report establish the share of students meeting the state’s chronic-absence definition, but do not explain every absence or show why a particular child missed school. Illness, family circumstances, school access and other factors may all play a role. The source also does not provide the exact 2024-25 chronic-absence rate for TK and kindergarten separately from the broader group of youngest students.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
October Attendance Release Ahead
California is expected to release chronic absenteeism data for the 2025-26 school year in October. Education experts and school administrators plan to examine attendance among the youngest students, according to The 74. Those results should show whether the gap between early-grade students and the statewide rate has changed, though the figures alone may not explain the reasons behind any shift.
In the meantime, Roseville City is continuing its individualized outreach to families, including notices that state how many days a child has missed and offer a chance to discuss support. The district’s approach is one local example; the report does not establish whether the same strategies will produce similar results elsewhere.
children's health and wellness kits
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What does chronic absenteeism mean in California?
It means a student missed 10% or more of school days in a school year. In a typical 180-day year, that is about 18 days, or 3.5 weeks.
How did young students’ absence rate compare with the statewide rate?
About 24% of California’s youngest students were chronically absent in 2024-25, compared with 19% of all students, according to figures cited by The 74.
Why do TK and kindergarten students miss school?
School leaders cited frequent illness as children adjust to group settings, along with family decisions about when a child is well enough to attend. The report also says some families may not realize how much foundational learning takes place each day.
When will California release the next attendance data?
The report says statewide chronic-absence data for the 2025-26 school year are expected in October. The results will include a year when TK was widely available to families.
Source: rss
Cold & flu season Picks
humidifiers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
