Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) announced on Tuesday that Virginia is leading the nation in cutting chronic absenteeism in schools and vowed that the state will continue to do so.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive in the classroom, and that starts with being present in school,” Youngkin said in a statement.

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The announcement follows the formation of Virginia’s Chronic Absenteeism Task Force in September 2023 as part of Youngkin’s ALL In VA initiative, which aims to slash chronic absences by 50% over five years.

“Through the ALL In VA Initiative, we are tackling chronic absenteeism head-on and giving students the support they need to succeed,” the governor added. “I am proud of the progress we’ve made together, but we will not stop until every student is consistently in school, learning, and building the foundation for a brighter future.”

Virginia’s chronic absenteeism rate decreased from 19.3% in 2022-2023 to 15.7% in 2023-2024, according to the Virginia Department of Education. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the number of chronic absences, with the rate nearly doubling from 10.6% in 2018-2019 to 20.1% in 2021-2022.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of school days per academic year for any reason.

Attendance Works, a national organization focused on reducing chronic absenteeism, recognized Virginia’s efforts to increase student attendance in recent years.

The efforts are led by the Youngkin administration, the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Board of Education, and school divisions across the state.

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“Prolonged and unnecessary school closures reinforced a core tenet of education: students benefit — academically, socially, and developmentally — when they are in school in person,” Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera said. “Because of the prioritization of attendance, every day, by the VDOE and by educators across the Commonwealth, Virginia has been recognized as a national leader.”

National chronic absenteeism rates reached 31% in 2021-2022 and dropped to 28% in 2022-2023, according to the Education Department. While the trend is going down, the number of chronic absences remains significantly higher than prepandemic levels.