Elementary school students are often as likely to miss school as middle schoolers, according to a report released this week by advocacy groups Attendance Works and Healthy Schools Campaign.
They say Georgia and other states need to do more to improve school attendance, particularly among students from low-income families and students with disabilities.
“If students aren’t in school, their learning suffers,” Healthy Schools Campaign President Rochelle Davis said.
In Georgia, about 18 percent of fourth and eighth grade students miss 3 or more days of school in a given year, according to estimates from the nonprofits. That’s close to the national average.
But about 20 percent of Georgia students from low-income families miss more than 3 days, compared to about 14 percent from other families.
Mental and physical health problems—including asthma and dental problems—are behind many of the absences in the early grades, according to the report.
“Schools can’t do it alone,” Davis said.
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