Absences are on the decline in local public schools, a report from the Mississippi Department of Education found.
The agency reported that Mississippi public school districts tallied 243,766 fewer student absences in August and September 2026 than in August and September 2025 — a 24% decline. Total absences fell from 1,012,946 to 769,180. Excused absences fell 17% and unexcused absences fell 29% compared to the same months in 2025, officials noted.
“Mississippi has raised expectations for school attendance, and students, families and schools have proven they can meet those higher expectations,” Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education, said. “Regular school attendance is so important because students who are not in school miss valuable instructional time they cannot get back.”
The improved attendance means students have been present for approximately 1.34 million more hours of instruction, based on a 330-minute instructional day, according to MDE calculations.
The progress in getting more pupils in the classroom follows a new attendance law that took effect at the start of the current school year and enhanced training to improve data collection of absences. Local lawmakers updated the state’s compulsory school attendance law during the 2026 legislative session.
Under the new law, students are limited to five excused absences per semester unless the district superintendent or designee approves more for extenuating circumstances. Absences for medical and dental appointments must be documented by the provider, and schools must contact the parent or guardian when a student reaches three absences.
Before the new law took effect, the statewide chronic absenteeism rate fell slightly from 27.6% in 2024-25 to 26.5% in 2025-26. Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year, or 18 days in an 180-day school year.
Education officials in Mississippi began reporting chronic absence data in 2016. Mississippi’s lowest rate of 13% was in 2018-19. The COVID-19 pandemic led to record-high state and national rates in 2021-22 when Mississippi’s chronic absenteeism rate reached 28%, and the national rate rose to 31%.
The MDE is developing a monthly reporting tool to track absences by district and flag areas that are at risk of high rates of chronic absenteeism. The reporting tool is expected to be released before the end of 2026.
