Chronic absenteeism among K-12 students remains a persistent challenge for schools five years after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2024-2025 school year, approximately 10.8 million students were classified as chronically absent, defined by the federal government as missing at least 10% of the school year. Although the proportion of middle school students missing class has declined, it still exceeds pre-2020 levels. The Rand Corporation reported that absenteeism worsened during the 2024-2025 academic year. Regular attendance is strongly correlated with academic success; students with consistent attendance are six times more likely to read at grade level and nine times more likely to graduate. Nearly half of students in Ohio’s eight largest urban districts are chronically absent, a situation that has deteriorated since the pandemic shutdowns. Despite these attendance challenges, some regions have seen academic improvements. For example, students in Washington, D.C. have shown gains in standardized test results, and Colorado students' math and literacy scores have largely returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic levels according to the 2025 CMAS tests.