EdTribune

Ascension Parish Has Not Broken 16% in Six Years

Among Louisiana's largest parishes, Ascension stands alone for chronic absenteeism consistency: below the state average every year since 2019, with a standard deviation of just 2.1 points.

Shay Demlow Wants Eureka's Size to Be Its Strength

Eureka USD 389's new superintendent brings a special education career to a 523-student district, and says small-town scale is an advantage worth protecting.

Virginia Counts 5,429 Homeless Students as Chronically Absent, but Its Public Files Do Not Support a Rate

Virginia's absence file reports 5,429 chronically absent students identified as homeless in 2022-23, while a separate enrollment file creates impossible division-level rates when used as the denominator.

Pennsylvania's Special Education Graduation Gap Narrowed Less Than One Point Since 2017

Pennsylvania's special education graduation rate reached 76% in 2024, while its gap with all students narrowed from 12.9 to 12.0 points over seven years.

Three Thousand More Students in Missouri's Graduation Pipeline

Missouri's graduating class grew by 3,048 students since 2019 while the graduation rate rose, producing nearly 4,000 additional on-time graduates per year.

Only 61% of Students in Foster Care Graduate in Illinois, the Widest Gap in the Data

Students in foster care graduate at 61.3% in Illinois, nearly 28 points below the state average, the widest gap of any student group. In Chicago, the rate drops to 43.9%.

Wyoming's Only Three Districts Below 70% Graduation Are in Fremont County

Wyoming's only three districts below 70% graduation are in Fremont County; the county's four lowest include all three districts the state identifies as residing on the Wind River Reservation.

A Fifth Year Added 2,084 Washington Graduates to the Class of 2024

Washington's Class of 2024 graduation rate rose from 82.8% after four years to 85.1% after five, with larger gains for students with disabilities, foster students, and English learners.

84% of Oregon Districts Have Chronic Absenteeism Rates at or Above 25%

Oregon's attendance crisis is not concentrated in a few struggling districts — 154 of 184 have rates at or above 25%. Only 30 districts have managed to stay below that threshold.

Cleveland Reversed Two Years of Attendance Gains in 2024-25

Cleveland's chronic absenteeism rate jumped 4.2 points to 55.7% in 2024-25 after falling from 62.3% to 51.5% over three years. Every subgroup worsened.

Greenwood 52 Cut Chronic Absenteeism to 7.8%

Greenwood 52's published chronic-absenteeism rate fell from 14.0% to 7.8% in one year, while South Carolina's rate was 22.3%.

Seven ND Reservation-Area Districts Rebounded in 2025—but All Trailed the State

The seven districts in this comparison with 2025 data raised their combined graduation rate from 70.1% to 79.6%, but none reached North Dakota's 84.2% rate.

Alabama's Chronic Absence Rate Fell Again; Barbour County Moved the Other Way

Alabama's chronic absence rate fell for a second year, while Barbour County rose 10.5 points to the state's highest published district rate.

St. Louis City and Kansas City Both Remained Above 50% Chronic Absence

St. Louis City and Kansas City 33 each reported chronic-absence rates above 50% for a second consecutive year in 2024-25.

Five Covenant Academies, 631 Students, and Graduation Rates Below 22%

Michigan's 2025 file shows five Covenant-branded charter academies with a combined cohort of 631 and graduation rates from 3.0% to 21.2%.

Alabama Still Enrolls More Kindergartners Than Seniors, but the Margin Is Narrower

Alabama's 2025-26 kindergarten class remains larger than grade 12 statewide, while district entry-exit balances point in different directions.

Special Education in Montana: A Decade Stuck at 75%

Montana's special education graduation rate has bounced between 69% and 81% for a decade without sustained improvement, stuck at what amounts to a 75% ceiling.

118 Virginia Divisions Had Higher Chronic Absence in 2022-23 Than in 2019-20

Only 13 of 131 comparable Virginia school divisions were at or below their 2019-20 chronic absenteeism rate in 2022-23, and those divisions enrolled 2.9% of students in the comparison.

Texas Reports Graduation Rates for Every Racial Group. The Black-White Gap Has Barely Moved.

Texas publishes graduation rates for every racial group. Black students graduated at 86.9% in 2024, 7.5 points below white students, a gap that has barely moved in five years.

79 Pennsylvania Districts Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates in 2024

79 Pennsylvania districts reached record-high graduation rates in 2024 while 26 hit personal lows, with most districts graduating above 90 percent and the top-to-bottom gap slowly narrowing.

57% of Nebraska District Rows Hit 95%, but They Enrolled 28% of the Cohort

Nebraska had 128 district graduation rows at 95% or higher in 2025, but those districts represented 28.2% of the students in the usable district-row cohort.

Wyoming's White-Native American Graduation Gap Was 23.1 Points

Wyoming reported a 61.8% four-year graduation rate for Native American students and 84.9% for white students in 2025.

Boone County Was Below 90% Attendance in Six of Eight Years

Boone County reported an 88.7% attendance rate in 2024-25; seven of its 12 schools and all three high schools were below 90%.

89.8% of Texas Districts Remained Above Their 2019 Absence Rate

A fixed comparison found 1,066 of 1,187 Texas district-level systems above their 2019 chronic absenteeism rate in 2023.

More Than Half of Columbus Students Were Chronically Absent

Columbus improved to a 52.6% chronic absenteeism rate in 2024-25, while Cleveland and Cincinnati reversed course.

97% of Sizable New York Districts Remained Above Their 2019 Absence Rate

Among 571 New York districts with at least 500 students at both endpoints, 17 had a 2024 chronic absenteeism rate at or below their 2019 rate.

Lee County Cut Chronic Absence 8.3 Points While Six Peers Rose

Lee County's chronic absence rate fell from 33.4% to 25.1% as six comparison districts rose; Dennis Elementary fell 44.1 points.

Alabama's Black-White Absence Gap Was 5.3 Times Its 2019 Size

Alabama's Black-White chronic-absence gap grew from 0.63 point in 2019 to 3.31 points in 2025, after peaking at 6.55 points in 2022.

Alaska's White-Native Graduation Gap Was 17.8 Points

White students posted an 85.8% four-year graduation rate in 2025, compared with 68.0% for Alaska Native students, the widest gap among six other reported race groups.

Only Clover and Rock Hill Improved Chronic Absenteeism Every Year in the Available Panel

Clover and Rock Hill were the only two of 77 complete South Carolina district-level series to improve chronic absenteeism every year.

Six St. Louis-Area Districts Improved. Eight Still Exceed 39% Chronic Absence

Six high-absence St. Louis-area districts improved after 2021-22, but eight still reported rates from 39.6% to 57.1% in 2024-25.

Alabama's White-Black Graduation Gap Ended Near Where It Began

Alabama's White-Black graduation-rate gap was 4.1 points in 2015 and 4.2 points in 2025, although annual gaps ranged from 3.0 to 4.7 points.

Montana's Graduation Gender Gap: Boys Have Trailed Girls for 13 Straight Years

Montana's female students have outperformed males in graduation rates every year since 2011, with an average gap of 3.6 percentage points.

A 16-District Delta Panel Cut Its Graduation Gap to 1.5 Points

A 16-district Delta county-name panel averaged an 88.7% graduation rate in 2026, narrowing its gap with other Mississippi districts to 1.5 points.

Virginia's Chronic Absenteeism Rate Remained at 18.6% in 2022-23

Virginia counted 234,822 chronically absent students in 2022-23, down 9,231 from the prior year but far above the 2019-20 count.

Pennsylvania's CTE Centers Are Graduating Nearly Everyone: 97.9% Weighted Rate

Ten Pennsylvania career and technical education centers with cohorts of at least 50 students posted a 97.9% weighted graduation rate in 2024, with two centers at or above 99%.

Four Vulnerable Oregon Student Groups Trailed the State Graduation Rate

In 2025, graduation rates for incarcerated, pregnant or parenting, foster-care, and homeless students ranged from 42.9% to 62.5%, below Oregon's 83.0% statewide rate.

A 26-Point Graduation Gap Separates Normandy and Clayton

Normandy graduated 73.3 percent of its 2025 cohort on time, 26.2 percentage points below Clayton's rate.

Black Graduation Gains Narrowed Illinois' White-Black Gap to 9.5 Points

Black students' graduation rate gained 6.4 points from 2019 to 2025, narrowing Illinois' white-Black gap from 14.3 to 9.5 points.

Wyoming Hits 83.1% Graduation High -- But Trails the Latest National Benchmark

Wyoming's 4-year graduation rate hit 83.1% in 2024-25, the high in the state's available 2010-2025 package series, with the largest cohort and most graduates in that window.

West Virginia's Special Ed Attendance Gap Has Not Budged in Eight Years

Special education students attend at 91.3% — a persistent 1-point gap below the state average that existed before COVID and hasn't narrowed since. With SpEd approaching 1 in 5 students, the gap affects a growing share of the system.

Washington's Foster-Care Graduation Gap Was 31.4 Points in 2025

Washington's foster-care four-year graduation rate was 51.3% in 2025, 31.4 percentage points below the all-student rate.

Tennessee's Hispanic Graduation Cohort Doubled. The Gap Remains.

Tennessee's Hispanic graduation cohort has more than doubled since 2018, but the 2025 Hispanic graduation rate still trails the state average by 6.1 points.

Oregon's High Schools Are Stuck at 42.5% Chronic Absenteeism While Elementary Recovers

Elementary chronic absenteeism dropped 8 points from peak. High school dropped 1.2 points. Oregon's attendance recovery is happening in grades K-5, not 9-12.

Nine Ohio Districts Had Chronic-Absence Rates Above 50%

Nine Ohio districts reported chronic absenteeism rates above 50% in 2024-25; rounded rate-times-enrollment calculations estimate 53,798 affected students.

More Than One in Four Special Education Students Is Chronically Absent

Special education students in MA miss school at 26.5%, 7.7 points above the overall rate. The gap predates COVID, widened during the pandemic, and has barely narrowed since.

Indiana's Native American Graduation Rate Rose Just 1.9 Points From 2014 to 2025

Indiana's Native American graduation rate rose 1.9 points from 2014 to 2025, while the white-Native American gap narrowed only 0.2 point.

Special Education Graduation Rate Breaks 77%, but Gap Persists

California's special education graduation rate reached 77.1% in 2025, but the gap with the state average remains 10.7 points.

19 Washington Districts Moved From at Least 40% Chronic Absence to Below 30%

Nineteen Washington school districts with at least 500 students moved from chronic-absence rates of at least 40% in 2022 to below 30% in 2025.

Virginia Graduates 13,000 More Than It Enrolls as Kindergartners

For eight straight years, Virginia has had more seniors than kindergartners. The K-to-G12 ratio has fallen to 86.6, signaling a pipeline collapse now reaching high school.

McCormick Has 483 Students Left

McCormick, Lee, and Williamsburg have each lost over 40% of their students since 2015. McCormick has 483 left.

Pittsburgh's Quiet Turnaround: Four Straight Years of Graduation Gains Reach 87%

Pittsburgh's graduation rate hit 86.9% in 2024 after four consecutive years of improvement; district leaders point to lower student-to-counselor ratios and closer monitoring.

37 Oregon Districts Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates in 2025

Thirty-seven Oregon districts with Class of 2025 cohorts of 50 or more set all-time high graduation rates, including four of the state's 10 largest districts.

Ohio's Attendance Recovery Slowed for a Third Year

Ohio's statewide chronic absenteeism rate fell to 25.1% in 2024-25, but its annual improvement slowed to 0.5 percentage points.

In the State Capital, Just Over Half of Native American Students Graduate on Time

Bismarck graduates 53.7% of Native American students, a 36.6-point gap from the 90.3% white rate, despite a growing NA cohort.

University City's Quiet Turnaround: 76 Percent to 94 Percent in Three Years

University City rose from a 75.8 percent graduation rate in 2022 to 94.3 percent in 2025, the largest gain among Missouri districts with 100+ students in both cohorts.

Vigo County Hit a New Absenteeism High While Indiana Kept Recovering

Indiana's chronic absenteeism rate fell for the third straight year, but Vigo County rose to 27.4% and became the only large traditional corporation at its 2013-2025 high.

Hawaii Graduation Gender Gap Fell to a Series Low

The female-male graduation-rate gap fell to 2.9 points in 2025, the lowest in Hawaii's 2010-2025 package series.

Calhoun County Has Improved for Seven Consecutive Years — The Longest Active Streak in Florida

Calhoun County, a small Panhandle district with a 163-student 2024 graduating cohort, has improved its graduation rate seven consecutive years, from 80.9% to 94.5%. No other Florida district has a longer active streak.

Delaware's 12th-Grade Absence Rate Fell Below 11th Again

The 12th-grade chronic absenteeism rate was 1.4 points below 11th grade in 2025, the fourth such result in five post-2020 reporting years.

A Two-School District in Maryvale Went from 50% Chronically Absent to 10%

A small Phoenix district cut its chronic absenteeism rate by 39 points in three years, nearly five times the statewide improvement.

English Learners Had Alabama's Second-Lowest Chronic Absence Rate in 2025

English learners had Alabama's second-lowest reported subgroup chronic absenteeism rate in 2025 at 8.38%, and their rate was below the statewide rate in all seven available years.

Alaska's Reported Five-Year Graduation Gap Peaked in 2021

Alaska's same-report-year four-to-five-year gap reached 6.0 points in 2021, but those rates describe adjacent cohorts. Matched files show 2,649 net additional graduates over six years.

Vermont's Four-Year Graduation Rate Fell From 85% to 82%

Vermont's package-backed four-year graduation rate declined from 85% in 2018 to 82% in 2025 across seven published state points.

Vermont's Six-Year Graduation Cushion Shrunk From 7 Points to 2

Vermont's six-year graduation rate fell faster than its four-year rate, shrinking the extra-time gain from 7 points to 2.

Orleans Southwest and Winooski Had Vermont's Lowest Local Graduation Rates

Orleans Southwest and Winooski had Vermont's two lowest local four-year graduation rates in 2025, but their recent paths diverged.

Vermont's Foster-Care Graduation Rate Was 46%, 36 Points Below the State

Vermont's 2025 four-year graduation rate was 46% for students in foster care, 36 points below the statewide rate.

Burlington's Graduation Rate Fell 13 Points in Two Years

Burlington's four-year graduation rate fell from 84.2% in 2023 to 71.2% in 2025, Vermont's largest local decline.

Oglala Lakota Improved as Reservation-Community Districts Still Led South Dakota's Absence List

Oglala Lakota County improved, but reservation-community systems still held five of South Dakota's six highest district chronic-absence rates in 2025.

Rapid City-Sioux Falls Attendance Gap Reached a Four-Year High After Narrowing

Rapid City's chronic-absence rate ended 2025 at 31.3%, 6.7 points above Sioux Falls after the gap narrowed a year earlier.

Attendance Improved for Native Students and Students Identified as Homeless; South Dakota's Gaps Remain Wide

Attendance improved for Native students and students identified as homeless, but South Dakota's subgroup gaps remained wide in 2025.

Female Students Had Higher Absence Rates Than Male Students for Four Years

South Dakota's female chronic-absence rate exceeded its male rate in all four years, while the students-with-disabilities gap reversed course in 2025.

Eagle Butte's Attendance Rate Made South Dakota's Sharpest One-Year Shift

Eagle Butte's chronic-absence rate rose 45.8 points in one year and remained between 65.5% and 68.8% for the next three reporting years.

Lake Oswego and Springfield: A 21.7-Point Attendance Gap

Lake Oswego reported 18.1% chronic absenteeism in 2024-25 and Springfield reported 39.8%. The gap was present in every available year and has more than doubled since 2014-15.

Rankin County Kept Chronic Absence Near 14% Across Eight Years

Rankin County's chronic-absence rate changed little across eight years and was the lowest among Mississippi's large districts in 2025.

9 of Mississippi's 10 Highest-Absence Schools Had 'High' in Their Names

Schools with 'High' in their names dominated Mississippi's highest chronic-absence rates and had a higher median than Elementary-named schools.

Four in Ten Mississippi Districts Reported Chronic Absence of at Least 30%

Fifty-seven Mississippi districts reported chronic-absence rates of at least 30% in 2025, showing that high absence crossed district sizes.

Mississippi District Chronic-Absence Rates Spanned 41.6 Points

Mississippi's 143 reported district chronic-absence rates ranged from 5.0% to 46.6% in 2025, with important caveats at the low end.

DeSoto County Reported Mississippi's Largest District Chronic-Absence Count

DeSoto County reported 11,336 chronically absent students in 2025, the largest count among Mississippi district rows with positive enrollment.

Claiborne County Cut Absence After Its Peak, but Port Gibson High Remains an Outlier

Claiborne County improved from its pandemic-era peak, but its 2025 rate and Port Gibson High remain Mississippi outliers.

Grain Valley's 21-Year Growth Streak Ended. Enrollment Is Still Near Its Peak

Grain Valley R-V grew every year from 2001 through 2022, then dipped, rebounded and slipped by five students in preliminary 2026 data. Enrollment remains six below its record.

Michigan's Migrant-Program Chronic Absence Fell for Three Years. The State Improved Faster.

Michigan's migrant-program chronic-absence rate improved after 2022, but the gap with the statewide rate widened to 7.8 points.

Attendance Improved for Michigan Students Experiencing Homelessness. A 30.3-Point Gap Remained.

Michigan's chronic-absence rate improved for students experiencing homelessness, but the housing-status gap remained 30.3 points.

Michigan Seniors Had the Highest Absence Rate; Kindergarten Exceeded Grades 1-7

Michigan's 2025 chronic-absence rate was highest in grade 12 and lowest in grade 4, while kindergarten exceeded every grade from 1 through 7.

Detroit Cut Chronic Absence for Three Years. Its Statewide Burden Remains Outsized.

Detroit's chronic-absence rate has fallen for three years, but the district still reports an outsized share of Michigan's total.

Black Student Attendance Improved 11.7 Points. Michigan's Gap Still Exceeds 2019.

Black student attendance improved after 2022, but Michigan's Black-white chronic-absence gap remains wider than before the pandemic.

Maine Virtual Academy Kept Growing While Most Stable-Panel Districts Shrunk

Maine Virtual Academy added students in every annual transition in Maine's available enrollment panel while most stable-panel districts shrank.

Zero of 19 Parishes Growing: North Louisiana's Enrollment Freefall

Caddo, Ouachita, and Rapides parishes lost a combined 10,426 students since 2018-19. Every parish in the article's North Louisiana region declined.

Kansas's Lowest-Rate District Was a Statewide Online-School Host

Elk Valley posted Kansas's lowest 2025 graduation rate among 136 districts with at least 40 enrolled twelfth-graders; West Elk ranked third.

Salina's Graduation Rate Fell 7.8 Points From 2020 to 2025

Salina USD 305's graduation rate fell from 91.4% in 2020 to 83.6% in 2025, the largest decline in a 66-district size-filtered peer set.

Kansas's 2020 Graduation Increase Was Followed by a 0.2-Point Dip

Kansas's graduation rate rose 0.8 point in 2020 and slipped 0.2 point in 2021; neither transition was the largest annual move in the 2016-2025 panel.

Kansas's Foster-Care Graduation Rate Rose 12.3 Points but Still Trailed the State

Kansas's foster-care graduation rate reached 71.6% in 2025, up 12.3 points since reporting began in 2022 but still 18.9 points below the state rate.

Montana's 2020 Graduation Gap by Economic Status Was 17.2 Points

Montana's economically disadvantaged students graduated at 76.8% in 2020, compared with 94.0% for non-disadvantaged students, a 17.2-point gap.

Red Lake: Where Two-Thirds of Students Are Chronically Absent

Red Lake Public School District reported a 68.4% chronic absence rate, highest among Minnesota districts with at least 500 students.

185,000 Virginia Students Now Have IEPs

Virginia added 10,932 special education students in two years while total enrollment declined, pushing IEP enrollment to 185,155 and exposing a funding gap.

One in Three Males at Omaha Public Schools Doesn't Graduate on Time

The OPS male graduation rate has been below 70% for six consecutive years. The 2025 gender gap was 10.3 points, 2.4 times the state average, and 664 OPS males did not finish on time.

Illinois Hits 89% Graduation Rate, a Seven-Year High, but 90% Remains Out of Reach

Illinois reached an 89.0% four-year graduation rate in 2025, the highest point in the state's comparable 2019-2025 graduation-rate series and 1.0 point below 90%.

Raleigh County, West Virginia's 6th Largest, Hits All-Time Low at 90.6%

Beckley's home county is one of three at record-low attendance and one of five that worsened since the 2022 trough. Independence Middle and High are Raleigh County's lowest-attendance schools.

74,636 Graduates, and It Still Wasn't Enough

Washington produced record graduates in 2025, but the rate fell for the second straight year as the cohort grew faster than the diploma count.

94 Texas Districts Are Over 90% Hispanic

Ninety-four Texas school districts are more than 90% Hispanic, and their enrollment is shrinking while the rest of Texas grows.

Nearly Half of Ohio's Black Students Are Chronically Absent — and the Gap Is Widening Again

42.9% of Ohio's Black students are chronically absent, more than double the white rate. The 23.8-point gap grew slightly in 2025 after two years of narrowing.

Girls Miss More School Than Boys, Reversing a Pre-COVID Pattern

Before the pandemic, boys in MA had higher chronic absenteeism. Since 2022, girls have led every year. In 2025, 58.7% of districts showed the same flip.

38 Arizona Districts Hit Four-Year Chronic Absence Highs in 2024-25

Arizona's statewide chronic absenteeism rate improved slightly in 2024-25, but 38 comparable districts posted their highest rates in the four-year district dataset.

31 North Dakota Districts Are at Their Lowest Graduation Rate on Record

Nearly a quarter of North Dakota districts with enough data history posted their lowest-ever graduation rates in 2024.

Alabama's Black Belt: Where Chronic Absenteeism Is Twice the State Average

Across Alabama's 20 Black Belt counties, chronic absenteeism averages 22.4%, nearly double the state rate, with only three of 20 districts recovering to pre-COVID levels.

Special Ed Students Graduate at 61%, the Lowest Rate of Any Group in Alaska

Alaska's special education graduation rate has barely moved in seven years while 471 students in the 2025 cohort left high school without a diploma.

Nashville Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 5.6 Points. The Gaps Stayed.

Davidson County posted the strongest attendance recovery among Tennessee's largest districts, but Black and low-income students still miss school at rates that dwarf their peers.

Michigan Hits 84% Graduation Rate, Its Highest Ever, While the Pipeline Shrinks

Michigan's 4-year graduation rate reached a record 84% in 2025 even as the graduating cohort shrank by one-fifth since 2008.

Georgia's New Attendance Law Covers Nine in Ten Districts

SB 123 bans absence-only expulsions and mandates intervention teams, but 199 of 231 districts already exceed the 10% chronic absenteeism threshold that triggers the law.

Nevada Schools Below 10% Fell From 17.3% to 3.6%

School rows below 10% chronic absence declined from 103 of 597 in 2018-19 to 25 of 685 in 2024-25, while 49.5% of current rows reached at least 30%.

Mississippi's Graduation Rate Rebounds to a Record 90.8%

Mississippi's graduation rate rebounded 2.9 points to a record 90.8% in 2026, while 97 of 138 districts improved from 2025.

The 25-Point Gap: Minnesota's Black-White Chronic Absence Divide

In Minnesota, 40% of Black students were chronically absent compared to 14.5% of white students -- a 25-point gap the state can no longer track because it stopped publishing subgroup data.

102 Colorado District-Level Rates Fell as the State Rate Rose

Chronic absenteeism rates fell in 102 of 178 matched Colorado district-level rows in 2024-25, while the separately counted statewide rate rose from 27.9% to 28.5%.

Twin Rivers' Non-Charter Chronic Absence Rate Was 30.4%

Twin Rivers Unified's non-charter chronic absenteeism rate was 30.4% in 2024-25, seventh highest among 59 California districts with at least 20,000 eligible students on that basis.

Four Illinois Urban Districts Remained Above 40%

Decatur, Rockford, Springfield and CPS each reported chronic absenteeism above 40% in 2024-25, but their seven-year paths differed.

How a 5th Year of High School Rescues Rhode Island's Most Vulnerable Students

Rhode Island's 5-year graduation rate rescues foster care (+8.6pp), homeless (+7.6pp), and special education (+6.0pp) students, but not LEP students, who actually do worse.

The Poverty Graduation Gap That's Actually Closing: Pennsylvania's Low-Income Rate Hits 83%

Pennsylvania's economically disadvantaged students graduate at 83%, and the poverty gap with all students narrowed 55% since 2011.

Portland's Graduation Rate Peaked at 84.4% - Then Dropped for Two Straight Years

Portland SD 1J's graduation rate peaked at 84.4% in 2023 after climbing from 53.6% in 2010, then slipped to 82.5% in 2025.

KC Black Students Graduated Above St. Louis White Students in 2025

Black students in Kansas City 33 graduated at 89.1 percent in Missouri's 2025 four-year cohort, 9.3 points above white students in St. Louis City. The comparison favored St. Louis in 2019.

Pam Long Steps Into the Brussels Superintendency

Pam Long says Brussels' size is its strength as she begins leading the small Calhoun County district as superintendent.

The Gender Gap Is Shrinking — But Boys Are Still 3.7 Points Behind Girls

Florida's gender graduation gap has narrowed from 7.5 to 3.7 points since 2016, with boys improving 10.9 points versus 7.1 for girls. But eight small districts still have double-digit gaps.

Piedmont Graduates 97%. Tulsa and OKC Graduate 70-77%.

Piedmont, Deer Creek, and Yukon graduate 96-97% of students while Oklahoma City and Tulsa manage 70-77%, a persistent suburban-urban divide in graduation outcomes.

In Closter and Other Suburbs, a 40-Point Black-White Absence Chasm

Closter has NJ's largest Black-white chronic absenteeism gap at 39.9 points. Across 9 districts, gaps exceed 20 points.

Melissa Collison Returns to Green County Intermediate as Principal

After beginning in Green County as a student teacher, Melissa Collison will lead Green County Intermediate with a focus on academic and emotional support.

Indiana's Graduation Gender Gap Is Closing as Young Men Gain Ground

Indiana's male graduation rate gained 2.7 percentage points over a decade, narrowing the gender gap from 4.0 to 2.8 points as young men improved faster than young women.

English Learner Graduation Rate Jumps 8.8 Points — But 1 in 5 Still Don't Graduate

California's English learner graduation rate surged from 70.9% to 79.7% but the 85,815-student cohort still sees 1 in 5 fail to graduate, with vast district variation.

A 29-Point Chronic Absence Gap Divides Arizona's Reservations and Suburbs

Reservation-area districts average 45.7% chronic absenteeism while five suburban East Valley districts average 16.8%. Tuba City's 29-point drop shows the divide is not fixed.

Every Racial Absence Gap Widened After COVID

All six racial chronic absenteeism gaps versus white students widened between 2019 and 2025 in Wisconsin, led by Native American and Pacific Islander students.

Low-Income Students' Graduation Rate Hits 12-Year Low

North Dakota's economically disadvantaged students graduate at 67.6%, the lowest rate in 12 years of state data.

Rural Districts Have the Highest Chronic Absence Rates in NC

Warren County (53.9%), Halifax (51.0%), and Northampton (50.5%) lead a rural corridor where half of students miss a month or more of school.

Same Sector, 54 Points Apart

Delaware's charter schools post both the lowest and highest chronic absenteeism in the state. Which number you use determines what story you tell.

Alaska's Homeless Students Have Never Cracked 65%

In seven years of data, students who are currently homeless' graduation rate has never exceeded 65%. The 2025 rate of 63.4% is the best on record, and still 16.5 points below the state average.

Richmond's Enrollment Decline Is Real, But VAVA Blurs the Baseline

Richmond fall membership is down 18% since 2003, but virtual-school enrollment and ADM data show the 2021 spike was not a simple local headcount change.

Terran Perry Takes Woodlawn Middle With a Turnaround Charge

Incoming Woodlawn Middle leader Terran Perry says school culture, community support, and transformation work will define the first year.

Five Districts, 27% of the Problem: Iowa's Chronic Absence Concentration

Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Sioux City account for 20,801 of Iowa's 76,535 chronically absent students — 27.2% from 17.1% of enrollment.

Montana's White-Native Graduation Gap Was 20.4 Points in 2020

Montana's White-Native American four-year graduation-rate gap ranged from 20.4 to 25.7 percentage points across the package's complete 2011-2020 race data.

Shawn Poyser Moves From Interim to Permanent Superintendent in Tonganoxie

As Dr. Shawn Poyser begins the permanent role, he points to relationships, budget discipline, and the district's community reputation.

San Francisco Unified's Black-Student Chronic Absence Rate Was 54.6%

San Francisco Unified's Black-student chronic absenteeism rate was 54.6% in 2024-25, 47.5 points above the Asian-student rate on the same non-charter basis.

Paige Prouty Centers Relationships as She Steps Up at West Franklin

West Franklin's incoming MS/HS principal says literacy work, experienced staff, community traditions, and expanded learning pathways will shape the next chapter.

Blockburger Centers Continuity in Riverview Transition

Susan Blockburger says Riverview's next year starts with continuity, student supports and a small-school atmosphere as she serves as interim superintendent.

The Poverty-Attendance Gap Widened by 4 Points in Washington

Low-income students are chronically absent at 35.4% vs. 19.0% for their peers — a 16.4-point gap that has grown by a third since the pandemic.

One in 14 Virginia Students Now Identifies as Multiracial

Multiracial enrollment grew 81.8% since 2011, the fastest growth of any racial group in Virginia; aggregate data cannot separate population change from classification effects.

How a Definition Change Revealed a 12-Point Graduation Gap Oregon Had Been Hiding

Oregon's poverty graduation gap appeared to vanish because 78% of the cohort was classified as disadvantaged. A tighter definition revealed a 12-point gap.

Foster Care, Homeless, LEP: Nebraska's Three-Tier Graduation Floor

Foster care youth graduate at 55%, English learners at 52%, students who are currently homeless at 62%. Nebraska's most vulnerable populations form a graduation floor 26 to 36 points below the state average.

Mooresville: The Only NC District at 95%

Mooresville Graded School District is the only district in North Carolina in the reported 95% graduation-rate bucket, up from 64% in 2006 and at or above 90% for nine straight years.

Grandview C-4: Six Straight Years of Declining Graduation Rates

Grandview C-4's graduation rate has fallen every year since 2019, dropping from 82.7 percent to 72.5 percent while neighboring suburban districts hit record highs.

Cody Rierson Wants McPherson Students to See Their Superintendent in the Building

McPherson's incoming superintendent says visibility, trust, and shared leadership will matter as the district starts a new chapter during bond construction.

Leon County, Home of the State Capital, Is the Only Florida District at an All-Time Low

Leon County's graduation rate has declined for four consecutive years to 85.1%, the lowest in its recorded history. It is the only Florida district at an all-time low while 16 others set records.

The Crossover: Outer-Ring Enrollment Surpasses Four Phoenix Districts

Two outer-ring entities now enroll more students than four inner-city Phoenix districts combined, while their demographic profiles differ sharply.

Vick Barrett Puts Staff Support at Center of Poyen Transition

Vick Barrett says Poyen's next chapter starts with staff support, student success and steady growth as he moves from principal to superintendent.

K-8 Enrollment Is Falling While High School Still Holds Up

Wyoming's K-8 enrollment has fallen 12.4% since the 2016 peak, while high school actually grew 4%. The divergence is temporary — small K classes will reach HS by 2032.

Oregon's Native American Chronic-Absence Rate Was 45.9%

Oregon's Native American state row reported 5,516 students and a 45.9% chronic absenteeism rate in 2024-25, down from a 51.5% panel peak.

Four Shore Districts Stayed Above 30% Chronic Absence in 2024

Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights, Keansburg and Neptune City all remained above 30% chronic absenteeism in 2024 while New Jersey's statewide rate fell to 14.9%.

Native American-White Absence Gap Widened Most

Massachusetts's Native American-white chronic-absence gap widened 4.2 points from 2019 to 2025, the largest increase among six reported race comparisons.

Brett Gallini Started Early at CCSD59, Then Went Straight Into Classrooms

Dr. Brett Gallini says he advanced his start date to avoid another transition, then spent his first weeks visiting schools and classrooms across CCSD59.

DeKalb Reached 81.6% but Trailed Five Metro Peers

DeKalb County's graduation rate rose to 81.6% in 2025, yet it ranked last in a six-district Metro Atlanta comparison.

Seaford's Graduation Rate Fell 5.8 Points, Delaware's Steepest District Decline

Seaford's graduation rate fell 5.8 points from 2015 to 2023, the steepest Delaware district decline, while its gender gap reached 13.1 points.

Arkansas's Gender Graduation Gap Narrowed 1.4 Points Since 2018—Unevenly

Arkansas's female-minus-male graduation gap moved from 5.4 points in 2018 to 4.0 in 2024, narrowing in three annual intervals and widening in three.

Marketa George Brings a Relationship Focus to Faine

Dothan City Schools names Marketa George principal of Jerry Lee Faine Elementary, where she will lead a 285-student campus.

Aundria Sewell Steps Into Beverlye With a Culture-First Lens

Dothan City Schools names Aundria L. Sewell principal of Beverlye Intermediate, where she will lead a 335-student campus.

Two in Five Students in Foster Care Do Not Graduate on Time

Hawaii's foster care four-year graduation rate fell 15.9 points since 2018 while every other vulnerable group compared here improved, opening the widest equity gap in the state.

English Learners Lost Their Attendance Advantage

Before COVID, Delaware's English learners were less likely to be chronically absent than average. The gap flipped in 2021, briefly reversed in 2022, and reopened in 2023.

38 Virginia Divisions Hit Their Worst-Ever Graduation Rate in 2023. 24 Hit Their Best.

More than a quarter of Virginia school divisions recorded their worst-ever graduation rate in 2023, including Norfolk, Bedford, and Portsmouth.

Texas Had 423 Five-Year Panel Highs and 248 Lows in 2024

In a fixed five-year Texas panel, 423 districts were at a panel high and 248 at a panel low in 2024; 65 flat-rate districts counted in both groups.

Tennessee's Hispanic-White Absence Gap Cut by More Than Half

The Hispanic-white chronic absenteeism gap in Tennessee narrowed from 6 percentage points to 2.5, even as the Black-white gap barely moved.

Three South Carolina Districts Slid Backward as the State Reached a Ten-Year High

While South Carolina's graduation rate reached a ten-year high, Lexington 2 dropped 12.9 points, Darlington fell 11.0, and Spartanburg 4 declined 10.6, the three largest district declines in the available series.

Providence Enrollment Fell 4,012 During State Intervention

Providence enrollment fell from 23,836 in 2019-20 to 19,824 in 2025-26, a loss of 4,012 students or 16.8% during the state-intervention period.

Redmond's Graduation Rate Rose From 46.1% to 91.2%

Redmond SD 2J's reported four-year graduation rate rose from 46.1% in 2010 to 91.2% in 2025 across 11 Oregon package observations.

Guymon Went From 60% to 90% in Six Years

Guymon Public Schools raised its graduation rate from 60.5% to 90.4% in six years, while English learners climbed from 28.7% to 80.0%.

The White-Hispanic Gap Narrowed by Half in Eight Years

The white-Hispanic graduation gap in New Mexico narrowed from 11.5 to 5.9 percentage points between 2009 and 2017, driven by Hispanic students improving 7.5 points, the fastest of any racial group.

Forsyth County's Chronic-Absence Rate Remained 10.5 Points Above 2019

Forsyth County Schools had a 32.1% chronic-absence rate in 2024, second-highest among North Carolina's five largest districts and 10.5 points above 2019.

Montana Is 14,273 Students Below Its Fitted Trajectory

Montana's gap between actual enrollment and a 2018-2020 linear trend reached 14,273 students in 2026; 59% of matched districts remained below 2020.

Only 29% of Missouri Districts Have Recovered from COVID

Only 159 of 547 Missouri districts reached their 2019 enrollment in 2026. The other 388 had a combined 54,097-student deficit.

Hawaii Traditional Enrollment Fell to 150,280

County-operated schools lost 3,702 students in 2025-26, the largest annual decline since 2021, while charter enrollment rose by 277.

Students Who Were Homeless Led Hawaii Subgroup Gains

Their graduation rate rose 15.0 points from 2018 to 2025, the largest gain among 19 matched Hawaii subgroups.

Bibb County Cut Chronic Absenteeism 23.9 Points From Its Peak

Bibb's chronic absenteeism rate fell from 53.7% in 2021 to 29.8% in 2025, the largest peak-to-current improvement among 68 sizable Georgia districts.

Conecuh County: From 74.6% to 92.0%, a Rural Turnaround Worth Studying

Conecuh County's graduation rate rose 17 points in a decade, from well below to above the state average. A rare rural turnaround story.

Alaska's Diversity Is Everywhere, and It Isn't Moving

Two-thirds of Alaska's 53 districts are majority-minority, but the state's racial composition has barely shifted in seven years of data.

Three Rural Nevada District School Means Exceeded 34%

Elko, Lyon and Mineral district school means reached 34.6%, 39.5% and 40.2% in 2024-25; only Elko and Lyon more than doubled their 2018-19 rates.

Montana's Graduation Rate Is Sliding Backward -- Below 2014 Levels for the First Time

Montana's four-year graduation rate has posted three consecutive annual declines, falling to 85.0% in 2024 -- below where it stood a decade ago.

Mississippi's Graduation Rate Reaches 90.8%

Mississippi's 2026 accountability file reports a 90.8% graduation rate for 2024-25, a 17-point rise from the 73.8% rate in the 2014 file.

Connecticut's Graduation Gap Nearly Vanished

The gap between all students and high-needs students shrank from 9.4 points to 1.6 over a decade, alongside gains in cities like Waterbury and New Britain.

21 Colorado Districts Reached Six-Year Chronic Absence Highs

Twenty-one Colorado districts recorded their highest chronic absenteeism rates in the six-year 2019-20 to 2024-25 series; 17 enrolled fewer than 1,000 students.

Sacramento County's Non-Charter Chronic Absenteeism Reached 21.9% in 2024-25

Sacramento County's non-charter chronic absenteeism rate was 21.9% in 2024-25, 8.4 points above 2018-19, with an 18.3-point spread among its largest districts.

Kindergarten Chronic Absence Drops 3 Points — the Fastest-Improving Grade in Illinois

Kindergarten chronic absenteeism fell from 29.1% to 26.1%, the largest improvement of any grade. Elementary grades posted the strongest average improvement.

Pawtucket's Graduation Rate Erased Eight Years of Gains in Three Years

Pawtucket climbed from 58% to 83% in six years, making it a turnaround success story. Then the rate fell back to 71%, with a 19% dropout rate.

Wisconsin Had 76 Kindergarten Students per 100 Grade-12 Students in 2025

Wisconsin reported 50,990 kindergarten students and 67,049 grade-12 students in 2025, a cross-sectional ratio of 76.0 per 100.

Philadelphia's Graduation Rate Jumped 21 Points, the Biggest Urban Turnaround in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia's graduation rate rose from 55% to 76% since 2011, the largest urban improvement in PA, driven by the 9th Grade Success Network.

Nearly Half of Portland's Native American Students Don't Graduate on Time

Portland's Native American graduation rate is stuck at 47.6% for three straight years, 26 points below statewide and 35 below the district average.

Ralston's Quiet Collapse: From 90% to 77% Inside the Omaha Ring

Ralston Public Schools has declined from 90% to 76.9% over seven years. The enclave inside Omaha now sits closer to OPS than to the state average.

Charter Schools Closed the Gap: From 14 Points Behind to Dead Even

NC charter high schools have closed a 14-point graduation gap with traditional schools since 2006 while quadrupling in number. But convergence masks enormous school-to-school variance.

Missouri Students Need Less Extra Time: The Vanishing Gap Between Four-Year and Five-Year Rates

The gap between Missouri's 4-year and 5-year graduation rates shrank from 2.1 points to 0.5 points, suggesting improvements are genuine rather than students being shifted to extended timelines.

136 Iowa Districts Are at Their All-Time High Graduation Rate

Nearly half of Iowa's school districts hit their highest-ever graduation rate in 2024, while 87 districts posted their worst -- a bifurcated state where the middle ground is thinning.

The COVID Illusion: How Waived Requirements Inflated Graduation Rates in Florida's Most Struggling Districts

When Florida waived assessment requirements during COVID, graduation rates in its poorest districts spiked by up to 22 points. When requirements returned, the gains evaporated, and some districts fell below their pre-improvement levels.

Arizona Has More Seniors Than Juniors. It Has for Nine Years.

Kindergarten fell 15.9% while 12th grade rose 16.7%. Arizona consistently has more seniors than juniors. Now the shrinking pipeline hits high school.

Upton's Oil Boom: A Tiny District Quadrupled in Three Years

Weston County School District #7 went from 222 students to 902 in three years, driven by Powder River Basin oil activity. The boom has already started to recede.

Logan County Hits Its Lowest Attendance on Record at 87.9%

After briefly improving, Logan County's attendance reversed in 2024-25. Man Senior High leads the state's worst at 84.7%. Only 3 of the county's 17 schools are above 90%.

Special Education Graduation Gap Narrows to 12.8 Points, But 1 in 4 Still Don't Graduate on Time

Utah's special education graduation rate climbed from 69.4% to 77% since 2017, narrowing the gap with the state average, but nearly one in four SpEd students still don't graduate in four years.

Tennessee Breaks Its Own Record: 92.3% Graduation Rate Marks the Highest Point in State History

Tennessee's graduation rate hit 92.3% in 2025, setting an all-time record on a growing cohort of nearly 75,000 students.

56% of Oregon's Homeless Students Are Chronically Absent

Oregon's 15,920 students who are currently homeless have a chronic absenteeism rate of 56.4% — more than half miss too much school. The gap with the overall rate has held near 22 to 25 points every year since 2018.

Oklahoma's Native American Students Graduate Above the State Average. In Most States, They Don't.

Native American students in Oklahoma graduated at 84.3% in 2025, outpacing the state average in 6 of 7 years — the opposite of the national pattern.

The Navajo Region: Six Districts Where Fewer Than 70% of Students Graduate

In northwestern New Mexico, six districts serving predominantly Native American communities all graduate below 70%, forming a regional crisis that spans the Navajo Nation.

New Jersey's Attendance Equity Gap Closed on Paper, Not in Practice

The Black-white chronic absenteeism gap nearly doubled during COVID and has only partially recovered, leaving Black students 10 points behind.

106 Maine Districts Improved Attendance Every Single Year Since 2022

Nearly half of Maine districts with three years of data improved chronic absenteeism in both consecutive years. Only 15 worsened in both. The breadth of improvement suggests systemic recovery, not isolated success stories.

East Baton Rouge's Graduation Rate Is Stuck in the 70s, Lowest Among Major Parishes

East Baton Rouge Parish graduated 76.3% of students in 2025, nearly 9 points below the state average and the lowest rate among Louisiana's major parishes.

South Bend: Two in Five Students Are Chronically Absent

South Bend's 40.3% chronic absenteeism rate has more than doubled since 2013, and one school recorded 99.3% chronic absence.

Nearly Half of Indiana's School Districts Now Graduate 95% or More

173 Indiana school corporations with meaningful cohorts now graduate at least 95% of their students, up from about 90 a decade ago, with 24 posting a perfect 100%.

The Waianae Coast: Ten Schools Where Nearly Half the Students Don't Show Up

Ten schools on Oahu's Waianae Coast have chronic absenteeism rates between 42% and 55%, more than double the state average, driven by deep poverty and limited healthcare access.

Foster Care Graduates at Half the State Rate

Georgia's foster care students graduate at 50.1%, 37 points below the state average and the lowest of any subgroup. Homeless youth face a similar gap.

Left Behind: The Two Groups Delaware's Rising Graduation Rate Missed

Students in foster care and students who are currently homeless are the only subgroups in Delaware whose graduation rates fell over nine years, even as the state hit an all-time high of 88.9%.

Where Black Students Graduate at Higher Rates Than White Peers: 47 California Districts Flip the Script

In 47 California districts with meaningful sample sizes, Black students graduate at higher rates than white students, challenging default assumptions about racial gaps.

Pacific Islander Students Saw the Widest Absence Gap Expansion in Arizona After COVID

The Pacific Islander-white chronic absence gap tripled from 3.6 to 11.4 points after COVID, the widest relative expansion of any racial group in Arizona.

Two Rivers Went From 71 Percent to 89 in Three Years. It Is the Biggest Graduation Turnaround in Arkansas.

Two Rivers gained 18 points on its graduation rate in three years, climbing from 71.2% to 89.2% — the largest improvement of any Arkansas district.

English Learners Saw the Steepest Attendance Decline of Any Subgroup

LEP students in Wisconsin went from 15.1% chronic absence in 2019 to 25.6% in 2025, the largest excess of any subgroup, with the LEP-overall gap quadrupling.

One in Three Low-Income Students in Utah Is Chronically Absent

Utah's economically disadvantaged students miss school at 1.45 times the state rate, and the gap has barely budged in three years of available data.

Half of North Dakota's Students Who Are Currently Homeless Graduate on Time. The State Average Is 82%.

The graduation rate for North Dakota students who are currently homeless has been stuck below 65% for eight years, with a 30-point gap to the state average.

7 NC Districts Hit Their 2018-2024 Chronic-Absence High in 2024

Despite statewide improvement, seven eligible North Carolina districts recorded their highest chronic-absence rate in the package's 2018-2024 panel.

Farrington High Reported 72.5%, Sixth From Bottom

Farrington High's 2025 graduation rate ranked sixth from the bottom statewide, with large race, service-population and gender gaps.

Delaware Special-Education Chronic Absence Fell Below 2019

The chronic-absence rate for Delaware students with disabilities fell from 24.1% in 2018-19 to 23.6% in 2024-25, while the all-student rate remained above its 2019 level.

Alaska Native Four-Year Graduation Rate Was 68.0% in 2025

Alaska Native students' four-year graduation rate rebounded from its 2022 low, but remained below the statewide rate in 2025.

Virginia Beach Was the Only Complete-Panel Division With Four Straight Graduation Gains

Virginia Beach improved its displayed graduation rate in all four transitions from 2019 through 2023, the only such streak among 128 complete division panels.

Aldine Rebounded 6.2 Points as Donna Extended a Four-Year Streak

Aldine ISD rebounded 6.2 points in 2024, while Donna ISD completed four consecutive annual graduation-rate increases and reached 96.3%.

South Carolina's Special-Education Graduation Rate Rose 9.5 Points

South Carolina's special-education graduation rate rose from 52.1% to 61.6% while its gap from the all-student rate narrowed from 30.5 to 25.1 points.

Georgia's English Learners Still Post Lower Absence Rates

English learners had a 19.0% chronic absenteeism rate in 2025, 1.4 points below Georgia overall, but the gap has narrowed since 2018.

Hispanic Students: From the Series' Widest Gap to Near-Parity in Two Years

Alabama's white-Hispanic graduation gap moved from 0.9 points in 2016 to a series-high 6.1 points in 2023, then to 1.8 points in 2025.

Lyon County's Unbroken Climb: The Only District at an All-Time High

Lyon County's chronic absenteeism rate reached 39.5% in 2024-25, an all-time high. It is the only Nevada district that has not improved from its COVID-era peak.

New Britain's Two Graduation Stories

New Britain graduates 71% in four years, lowest among CT traditional districts. But its high-needs students nearly match the state average.

California's 1.14 Million Missing Students: Recovery Stalls at Nearly Double Pre-COVID

Chronic absenteeism dropped from a 30% peak to 19.4%, but improvement slowed to just 1 point last year. At that pace, a return to the 12.1% pre-pandemic baseline would take about eight more years.

64 Illinois Districts Hit Available-Series High Chronic Absenteeism in 2025

Despite statewide improvement from 26.3% to 25.4%, 64 districts recorded their highest chronic absence rates in the available 2018-19 to 2024-25 series.

Only 59% of Homeless Students Graduate in Rhode Island

Students who are currently homeless in Rhode Island graduated at just 59.0% in 2024, a 25-point gap from the state average and no improvement since reporting began in 2019.

The Grade Recovery Gradient: Kindergarten Improved 12.8 Points, 12th Grade Just 0.7

Washington's attendance recovery follows a nearly perfect gradient by age — younger students are bouncing back while high schoolers remain stuck near their pandemic peak.

Pennsylvania's Racial Graduation Gap Cut in Half: Black Students Gained 15 Points in 13 Years

Pennsylvania's white-Black graduation gap dropped from 23 to 11 percentage points since 2011 as Black students' rate soared from 65% to 81%.

Special Education's COVID Scar: Nebraska's Widest Gap Expanded, Then Slowly Healed

Nebraska's special education graduation rate dropped nearly 4 points during COVID, widening the gap to 22.5 points. Five years later, the rate has barely returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The LEP Rollercoaster: From 55% to 73%, With a Definition Change Along the Way

English learners in NC have the most volatile graduation trajectory of any subgroup — spiking, crashing, and spiking again as the cohort more than doubled and the definition changed.

Joplin's Comeback: From 75 Percent to 96 Percent in Four Years

Joplin Schools hit a trough of 75.1 percent in 2021 before surging to 96.5 percent by 2025, including an 8.4-point leap in the final year.

The Suburban-Urban Divide: West Des Moines at 90%, Des Moines at 71%

Iowa's graduation story is increasingly a story of geography, with 18- to 26-point gaps between urban cores and surrounding suburbs across the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Quad Cities metros.

Pasco County Went From Average to Exceptional: 79.1% to 95.5% in Eight Years

Pasco County's graduation rate climbed 16.4 points to 95.5% in 2024, with its special education rate of 96.2% exceeding the overall rate. The large suburban district near Tampa is rewriting expectations.

The Energy Divide: Coal and Gas Counties Losing Students Three Times Faster

Wyoming's energy-producing counties have lost 14.9% of their enrollment since 2016, nearly three times the rate of non-energy districts.

Wayne County Gained 5 Points in Three Years — The Biggest Turnaround in West Virginia

Wayne County's attendance surged from 86.0% to 91.0% since the 2022 trough, with Tolsia High School gaining nearly 10 points. What happened in this southern WV county?

Kingdom East and St Johnsbury Went From Majority-Absent to Below Average in Two Years

Kingdom East and St Johnsbury went from majority-absent to below the state average in two years, achieving the largest turnarounds in Vermont.

Utah's Native American Graduation Rate First Reached 80% in Its Nine-Year Panel

Utah's statewide Native American graduation rate reached 80.1% in 2025, the first result at or above 80% in the package's 2017-2025 panel.

South Carolina Enrolled 2,546 Fewer Kindergartners Than 12th Graders

State enrollment rows show kindergarten fell below 12th grade in 2024-25 and the gap widened to 2,546 students in 2025-26.

More Than Half of Oregon's Pacific Islander Students Are Chronically Absent

Pacific Islander students have the highest chronic absenteeism of any racial group in Oregon at 51.5%. The gap with white students has quadrupled from 5.0 to 20.8 points.

The 17-Point Poverty Divide: Maine's Low-Income Students Miss School at Double the Rate

Economically disadvantaged students in Maine are chronically absent at 35.0%, nearly double the 17.6% rate for their peers. The gap narrowed 3.2 points in two years but remains the state's deepest structural divide.

Lawrence Erased Its COVID Attendance Crisis. No Other Large Gateway City Can Say That.

Lawrence cut chronic absenteeism from 43.5% to 23.3%, 0.6 points below its pre-COVID rate. Among Massachusetts' nine largest Gateway Cities, it stands alone.

Hispanic Students Graduate at Just 73% in Louisiana, a 17-Point Gap With White Peers

Louisiana's Hispanic graduation rate of 72.8% sits nearly 17 points behind white students; after large swings, the gap ended 1 point narrower than in 2018.

Indiana's Special Education Graduation Gap Shrank From 19 Points to 7

Special education students gained 13.2 percentage points over a decade, the largest improvement of any subgroup, collapsing the gap with general education peers.

Gwinnett's White-Black Graduation Gap Falls to 1.5 Points

Georgia's largest district improved from 67.6% to 85.4% over 14 years while its cohort grew by 3,320 students and became majority-minority.

One in Four SpEd Students Still Don't Graduate on Time

Delaware's SpEd graduation rate gained 9.6 points since 2015, but a 15.6-point gap persists. Christina graduates barely half its SpEd students.

Anaheim Union High's Four Straight Graduation Gains to 94.4%: One of California's Top Large-District Records

Anaheim Union High rose from 86.8% to 94.4% across four straight reported gains, ranking second among California districts with 2025 graduating cohorts of 4,000 or more.

BASIS Schools Average Under 11% Chronic Absenteeism While the State Averages 24%

Across 22 campuses, BASIS charter schools averaged 10.9% chronic absenteeism in 2024-25, less than half the state rate. The consistency is hard to dismiss.

Foster Care Had Arkansas's Largest 2018-2024 Graduation-Rate Decline

Arkansas's foster-care graduation rate fell from 73.5% in 2018 to 67.9% in 2024, the largest decline among 18 subgroup series with both endpoints.

Beloit's Absence Rate Reversed Course, Getting Worse Again

After two years of improvement, Beloit's chronic absenteeism jumped 4.6 points to 42.7% in 2025 while the state continued recovering.

Nearly Half of Pacific Islander Students Are Chronically Absent

Pacific Islander students miss school at more than double the rate of white peers, a 25-point gap that Utah's attendance campaigns have not specifically addressed.

Williston Basin's Oil Boom Built New Schools, But Graduation Rates Kept Falling

Williston Basin district graduates just 68.6% of students, the lowest rate among large ND districts, amid oil boom-driven growth and transience.

Davidson County Cut Its Chronic Rate by 18 Points in Two Years

Davidson County Schools dropped from 29.4% to 11.4% chronic absence, the largest North Carolina district to improve this far this fast.

Maine's High Schools Hold Steady, but the Pipeline Feeding Them Is Shrinking

Maine's 9-12 enrollment has barely budged in nine years, falling just 4.3%. But K-8 has lost 11,198 students, and today's kindergarten classes are 2,320 smaller than grade 9.

9th Grade: Where 1 in 4 Delaware Students Goes Missing

Chronic absenteeism peaks at 23.4% in 9th grade, nearly double elementary rates. Black and low-income freshmen hit hardest at the key dropout predictor.

15 Alaska Districts Below 70%: The Rural Bush Crisis

Fifteen Alaska school districts graduated fewer than 70% of their students in 2025. Nearly all are remote Bush communities where teacher turnover, tiny cohorts, and extreme geography collide.

Nine Virginia Divisions Saw Graduation Rates Spike During COVID, Then Fall Back

Nine Virginia divisions show a spike-then-crash graduation pattern: rates rose at least 3 points by 2021, then fell at least 3 points by 2023.

Texas Graduation Equity Gaps Span 16 Points

Texas's 2024 graduation gaps vary sharply: 2.5 points for economically disadvantaged students, 9.9 for special education, and 3.2 by gender.

West Des Moines' Hidden Crisis: K-8 at 13.6%, High School at 44.9%

West Des Moines has a 31-point gap between its K-8 and computed high school chronic absence rates, the largest in Iowa's 2025 district data.

Girls Now Miss More School Than Boys in Georgia

A longstanding pattern reversed in 2022: Georgia girls now have marginally higher chronic absenteeism than boys, and the gap has not closed.

Students Who Are Homeless Hit 86.3%: Their Highest Rate in Alabama's 2015 Through 2025 Data

The graduation rate for students who are currently homeless in Alabama reached 86.3% in 2025, the highest mark in the state's 2015 through 2025 series.

Nevada Virtual Programs Spanned 8.3% to 80% Chronic Absence

Selected Nevada virtual and online programs ranged from 8.3% to 80% chronic absenteeism in 2024-25; Nevada Learning Academy had the largest estimated chronic count among school rows.

Hartford's Four-Year Graduation Rate Reached 78.6%

Hartford's four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate reached 78.6% in 2025, its highest result in nine available years but still 10.3 points below Connecticut.

Five California Racial Absence Gaps Remain Wider Than 2019

Pacific Islander, Native American, and Black students all have chronic rates above 31%. Five groups have rates above white students, and all five gaps remain wider than in 2019.

The Metro East Attendance Emergency: Five Districts Above 50%

Five districts in the Metro East region across from St. Louis have chronic rates above 50%. Venice CUSD 3 went from 9.1% to 51.8% in five years.

Foster Care Students Are Stuck: Chronic Absenteeism Plateaued at 41%

Washington's 3,777 foster youth have seen their chronic absence rate flatline at 41% for three straight years, even as other vulnerable groups continue recovering.

Woonsocket's 44% Absenteeism: The Highest Rate Among Rhode Island's Large Districts

Woonsocket's 44% chronic absenteeism rate is the highest among Rhode Island's large districts, with more than half of middle schoolers chronically absent.

Pennsylvania Hits All-Time High 88% Graduation Rate While Producing Fewer Graduates Than 2011

Pennsylvania's four-year graduation rate reached 88% in 2024, but the state produced nearly 6,000 fewer graduates than in 2011 as cohorts shrank 10%.

15 Oregon Districts Still Graduate Fewer Than 70 Percent of Their Students

Even as Oregon hits a record 83% graduation rate, 15 districts graduate fewer than 70% of students. The list skews rural and coastal, with Coquille at 41%.

Missouri's White-Black Graduation Gap Narrows Below Eight Points for the First Time

The gap between white and Black graduation rates in Missouri fell to 7.8 percentage points in 2025, driven by Black student gains that outpaced white students by more than 2 to 1.

Kentucky's SpEd Gap Is Narrower Than the Nation's

Students with disabilities graduate at 83.1% in Kentucky, a 10.5-point gap from the state rate. Nationally, that gap is 13 points.

Iowa Reports Graduation Rates for Non-Binary Students, a Category Few States Track

Iowa began reporting graduation rates for non-binary students in 2022, with a cohort that has grown from 15 to 73 students and a rate of 84% in 2024, above Black, English learner, and special education students.

The FRL Gap Is Half What It Was: Florida's Poverty Penalty Shrinks From 6.3 to 3.5 Points

Florida's graduation gap between low-income and all students narrowed from 6.3 to 3.5 points since 2016, with FRL students improving 11.8 points. Unlike the ELL gap, the poverty gap did not snap back after COVID.

Kanawha County's Attendance Hit an All-Time Low While the State Improved

West Virginia's largest county and state capital posted its lowest attendance ever at 91.4%, one of five counties that worsened since the 2022 trough even as the state recovered.

Carbon District's Freefall: From 94.9% to 81.7% in Seven Years, the Largest Decline Among Utah School Districts

Carbon District in Utah's coal country has seen its graduation rate plummet 13.2 points since 2018, the steepest decline of any school district in the state.

Twelve Oregon Districts Got Worse Every Year From 2016 to 2023

Beaverton, Portland, Tigard-Tualatin, and nine other districts saw chronic absenteeism worsen in every measurable year for six straight years, spanning pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic eras.

Black Students Lost 9 Graduation Points During COVID. They've Recovered Half.

Oklahoma's Black graduation rate fell from 82.7% to 73.7% during COVID and has only recovered to 78.2%, leaving a 5.3-point gap with white students.

New York Public-School Enrollment Fell 395,463 in 21 Years

Statewide enrollment fell from 2,842,058 in 2005 to 2,446,595 in 2026; 19 of 21 annual transitions were declines, and the 2026 loss ranked third.

21 Louisiana Parishes Are at Their All-Time Highest Graduation Rate

Twenty-one Louisiana parishes hit their all-time highest graduation rate in 2025, spanning turnaround stories and established performers, while only 2 regular parishes sit at lows.

Indiana's Absenteeism Problem Started Before COVID

Chronic absenteeism rose every year from 2015 to 2019, crossing 10% for the first time in 2018. The pandemic accelerated a trend already in motion.

Gary's Graduation Rate Fell 28 Points in a Decade, Indiana's Steepest

Gary Community School Corp's graduation rate fell from 85.5% to 57.8% over a decade, the steepest decline of any Indiana corporation with a cohort of 100 or more, with most of the drop arriving after the 2017 state takeover.

Two in Five Pacific Islander Students in Hawaii Are Chronically Absent

Pacific Islander students in Hawaii have a 40% chronic absenteeism rate (29 percentage points higher than Asian students), and the gap has widened since the pandemic.

California's Homeless Students: The Only Graduation Gap That's Widening

While every other equity gap in California graduation data narrowed since 2018, the student who is currently homeless gap widened from 7.5 to 10.7 points amid a growing cohort.

Two in Five Homeless Students in Arizona Are Chronically Absent, Worse Than Before COVID

Arizona's students who are currently homeless face a 39.7% chronic absenteeism rate, 10 points above the pre-COVID level. The pandemic permanently elevated their baseline.

More Than One in Four Seniors Miss Too Much School

Wisconsin's chronic absenteeism climbs steadily from 3rd grade through 12th, with 27% of seniors (17,014 students) chronically absent in 2025.

Utah's English Learners Are the Only Students Falling Further Behind on Attendance

Every student group in Utah improved on chronic absence except English learners, whose gap with the state average widened to 12.4 points.

Oconee County Has Worsened Every Year While South Carolina Recovered

Oconee County has worsened every year in SC's chronic absenteeism data, rising from 19.3% to 23.2% while the state recovered from its peak.

Only One in Four Native American Students in Minot Graduates on Time

Minot's Native American graduation rate has collapsed to 25.9%, down from 85.7% seven years ago, amid a broader district-wide decline.

NC's Special Education Attendance Gap Widened 50% After COVID

Students with disabilities have a 32.4% chronic absence rate in NC, 7.4 points above the overall average. The gap was roughly 5 points before the pandemic.

Saco Grew 10% While Maine Lost 12,000 Students

Saco Public Schools added 179 students over nine years, making it the largest traditional district gainer in a state where 88 districts hit all-time lows.

Louisiana's Fastest-Growing Student Group Has 27,000 Members

Multiracial enrollment grew 41.7% in seven years, outpacing every other racial group. The surge is concentrated in suburban parishes and reflects both demographic change and shifting identity.

68%: Pacific Islanders Face Hawaii's Widest Graduation Gap

Pacific Islander students graduate at 68.4% in Hawaii, a 17pp gap below the state average that has barely moved in nine years of tracking.

Only 8 of 35 Districts Beat Their Pre-COVID Absence Rates

Delaware recovered 81% of its COVID attendance loss statewide, but only 8 of 35 districts have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

30 Alabama District-Level Entities Enroll Fewer Than 1,000 Students

Thirty of Alabama's 155 district-level entities enroll fewer than 1,000 students, but together they serve 2.6% of students.

Alaska Graduates Just 80% of Students

Alaska's 4-year graduation rate has stayed below 80% for six of seven years, trailing the national average by 7 points. Nearly 2,000 students per year leave without a diploma.

92 of 117 West Virginia High Schools Hit 90% Attendance in 2024-25

92 of 117 WV high schools held attendance at or above 90% last year. The 25 below that mark cluster in five southern coal counties, where Wayne County leads a 5-point recovery from its 2022 trough.

16 West Virginia Counties Have Recovered Pre-COVID Attendance; 15 More on Three-Year Improvement Streaks

16 of West Virginia's 55 counties have returned to or surpassed their 2019 attendance rates. 15 more are on three consecutive years of gains, led by Wayne, Summers, and Wyoming counties.

Manassas City's Graduation Rate Climbed 12 Points in Four Years. Its Dropout Rate Was Cut in Half.

Osbourn High School in Manassas City improved from 77.7% to 89.5% between 2019 and 2023, closing a 14-point gap with the state.

Fort Worth ISD's V-Shaped Recovery: From 81.0% Trough to 82.6%, but Still Below Pre-COVID Level

Fort Worth ISD's graduation rate plunged 4.4 points to 81.0% during COVID, then recovered to 82.6% -- but remains 2.8 points below its 2020 level and 8.1 below the state average.

Sumter: Where More Than One in Three Students Miss a Month of School

Sumter has the worst chronic absenteeism of any large SC district at 35.9%, with rates above 30% for every racial group and nearly every subpopulation.

South Carolina's Boys Are Catching Up, But the Gender Gap in Graduation Remains Nearly 7 Points

Male students in SC graduate at 83.3% vs. 90.2% for female students, a 6.9-point gap that peaked at 12.2 points in 2019 and 2020.

Kindergartners Came Back. Oregon Seniors Did Not. 52.5% Still Chronically Absent Three Years Later.

Oregon's 12th-grade chronic absenteeism rate was 52.5% in both 2022 and 2025. While kindergarten recovered 12 points, seniors have shown no improvement at all.

Salem-Keizer's Absenteeism Is the Highest Among Oregon's Largest Districts, and the Slowest to Recover

Oregon's third-largest district hit 43.1% chronic absenteeism in 2024-25, more than double its pre-COVID rate, with 48.3% of Hispanic students chronically absent.

Six in Ten Oklahoma Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Graduation Levels. Four in Ten Have Not.

59.5% of Oklahoma districts have recovered to their pre-COVID graduation rate. 115 districts remain below 2019 levels, including Tulsa and Ponca City.

Nebraska's Tribal Districts: Where 9 in 10 Students Are Chronically Absent

Three Nebraska school districts on the Omaha and Winnebago reservations have chronic absenteeism rates from 54% to 90% -- the highest in the state by a wide margin.

Black and White Students in Maine Attend School at Nearly Identical Rates

Maine's Black and white students are chronically absent at near-identical rates, a parity rooted in the state's Somali, Congolese, and Sudanese immigrant communities.

Maine's Native American Students Are Improving Attendance Fastest, But Still Miss School at 1.6 Times the State Rate

Native American chronic absenteeism dropped 14.9 points in two years, the fastest improvement of any racial group, but 39.3% of students still miss too much school.

Nearly 1 in 3 Hispanic Students Chronically Absent as Racial Gap Widens

The Hispanic-white chronic absence gap in MA is 3.6 points wider than pre-COVID. In Boston and Framingham, over 40% of Hispanic students miss school.

Gateway City Students Miss School at Triple the Rate of Suburban Peers

The median chronic absenteeism rate in Massachusetts Gateway Cities is 26.9%, more than triple the 8.6% suburban median, a gap that widened 2.2 points since COVID.

Nine Louisiana Parishes Hit All-Time High Chronic Absenteeism in 2025, Even as the State Improved

Nine Louisiana parishes hit their worst-ever chronic absenteeism rates in 2025, led by Winn Parish at 40.8%, even as the state improved overall.

New Orleans Schools Span the Full Range of Chronic Absenteeism, From Near Zero to 70 Percent

Among individual New Orleans schools in 2025, chronic absenteeism ranged from near zero at Einstein Charter at Village De L'Est to 70.4 percent at McDonogh 35, against a statewide rate of 22.5 percent.

Two in Three Gary Students Miss Too Much School

Gary Community School Corporation's 63.6% chronic absenteeism rate is the highest among traditional districts in Indiana, and it has tripled since 2013.

60 Indiana School Corporations Have Returned to Pre-COVID Attendance Rates. 325 Have Not.

Sixty of Indiana's 385 school corporations have returned to their pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism rates. The other 325 remain above their 2019 baselines.

Four Cook County High School Districts Have Chronic Absenteeism Near or Above CPS's Rate

A cluster of suburban Cook County high school districts reports chronic absenteeism between 45% and 53%, rivaling or exceeding Chicago Public Schools' 40.1% rate.

Grade 12 Is the Only Grade in Illinois Where Chronic Absence Is Getting Worse

Every grade from K through 11 improved its chronic absenteeism rate in 2024-25. Seniors bucked the trend, worsening to 41.5% — a 23-point gap from elementary school.

More Than One in Three Illinois Students Who Are Economically Disadvantaged Are Chronically Absent

35.1% of students who are economically disadvantaged miss too much school, nearly 10 points above the state average. Special education and English learner rates are similarly elevated.

One in Four: Special Education's Attendance Crisis

A quarter of Georgia's special education students are chronically absent, a gap that predates the pandemic and has barely moved in eight years.

The Black Belt Split: Same Region, Opposite Trajectories

Alabama's Black Belt is splitting: Hale County's graduation rate rose 10 points while Sumter County's fell 17. A 27-point swing between neighbors.

Humboldt County's 19-Point Recovery: From Crisis to Progress

Humboldt County cut its chronic absenteeism rate by 19.4 points from its 2022 crisis peak, the largest improvement of any Nevada district.

Belcourt's Chronic Absenteeism Nearly Doubled in Six Years

The Turtle Mountain reservation district saw its chronic absence rate jump from 28% to 54%, with one high school reaching 72%, as COVID reversed partial progress and the 2024 rate surged 9 points.

74 Kindergartners for Every 100 Seniors

Minnesota hits four simultaneous grade-level records in 2026: all-time high pre-K and 12th grade, all-time low kindergarten and first grade.

103 Students to 18,424: Michigan's Virtual Schools Keep Growing

Michigan's virtual school sector has grown 17,787% since 2010. COVID was the accelerant, but post-pandemic enrollment hit a new high in 2025.

The 24-Point Gap That Shrank to 14

Hartford and West Hartford share a border and a 13.6-point graduation rate gap that has narrowed by 11 points since 2018, driven by Hartford's climb.

Two in Five Colorado Seniors Are Chronically Absent

Colorado's 12th graders have a 41.2% chronic absenteeism rate, the highest of any grade and nearly double the elementary average, even as the state posts record-high graduation rates.

LAUSD's 126,000 Missing Students

The nation's second-largest school district has 126,481 chronically absent students -- a population larger than most cities' entire school systems.

Malvern's Quiet Consistency: Three Straight Years of Attendance Improvement

Malvern School District spiked to 34% chronic absence in the COVID era, then improved every year since, landing at 13.8% — below its pre-COVID rate and half the state average.

From crisis to model: How Yukon-Koyukuk cut chronic absenteeism by 35 points

Yukon-Koyukuk School District slashed chronic absenteeism from 52% to 17% in three years, the largest improvement in Alaska, with four schools reporting zero chronically absent students.

Woonsocket Lost a Decade of Progress in Three Years

Woonsocket climbed from 63% to 74% over a decade, then collapsed back to 62% in three years. The dropout rate is double the state average.

Washington's Majority-Absent District Count Has Fallen by More Than Half Since 2022. Eighteen Remain.

From a 2022 peak of 41 majority-absent districts, Washington has cut the count by more than half. The 18 that remain are concentrated in tribal communities and tiny rural schools where the barriers to attendance are structural.

The 16-Point Divide: Urban Rhode Island's Chronic Absenteeism Is Double the Suburbs

Rhode Island's urban districts have a 32% chronic absenteeism rate, double the 15.6% suburban rate. COVID widened the gap to 25 points before it narrowed.

Pittsburgh's Chronic Absence Rate Falls to 33% From a 42% Peak as Text Reminders Reach 60% of At-Risk Families

Pittsburgh SD's chronic absence rate has come down from its 42% pandemic peak to 33%, with text-message reminders improving attendance for 60% of at-risk students.

Former English Learners Graduate at 89.5% in Oregon, Above the State Average

Oregon's LEP graduation rate of 70% masks a complex picture. Former English learners graduate at 89.5%, above average. The four-year clock is the barrier.

The Tribal Gap: Umo N Ho N Nation's 57% Graduation Rate Is Nebraska's Lowest

Umo N Ho N Nation Public Schools graduated about 57% of its 2025 cohort, the state's lowest, after years near the middle. Winnebago held at 80%. The statewide Native American rate trails white students by about 20 points.

NC Students With Disabilities Gained 22 Graduation Points Since 2006. The Gap to the State Average Held at 15.

North Carolina students who receive special education services graduate at 71.6%, up nearly 22 points since 2006. But the gap to the state average has held near 15 points.

Nearly Four in Ten Missouri Districts Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates

179 of Missouri's 455 districts posted their highest-ever graduation rate in 2025, including 13 that hit 100 percent with meaningful cohort sizes.

Fewer Kentucky Students Need a Fifth Year to Graduate

The gap between Kentucky's four-year and five-year graduation rates fell to 0.6 percentage points in 2025, down from 2.1 points during COVID. But English learners still gain nearly 7 points from extra time.

Iowa's Graduation Rate Recovered to 88%, but the Number of Districts Below 70% Doubled in 2024

Eight Iowa districts graduated fewer than 70% of students in 2024, double the number from the year before, with Fort Dodge and Burlington among the mid-size districts on the list.

Florida Virtual School's Graduation Rate Climbed 30 Points, From 66.6% to 96.6%

Florida Virtual School's graduation rate climbed 30 points in eight years, from 66.6% to 96.6%, while its cohort grew 56%. The state's flagship online program now outperforms most traditional districts.

Two in Three Arizona Districts Never Recovered From COVID

Five years on, only 33% of Arizona districts have regained their 2020 enrollment. The state has lost 72,026 students since its peak, with losses rising.

Peak Was 2016, Not 2020: Wyoming's Decline Predates COVID by Four Years

Wyoming's enrollment peaked at 94,002 in 2016, driven by the energy boom. The state was already losing students before the pandemic arrived.

Mingo County Cleared 90% Attendance. Four Coal Neighbors Are Still Climbing Back.

Mingo County recovered above 90% attendance while its four coal-country neighbors trail the state. The region averages 89.0%, about 3.3 points below West Virginia.

Vermont's 40-Point Attendance Gap: Same Size, Opposite Outcomes

Harwood (17% chronic rate) and Rutland City (56.7%) enroll nearly the same number of students, but a 39.7 percentage-point gap separates their attendance outcomes.

Eight of Ten Student Groups Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates in Utah's Class of 2025

Eight of Utah's ten reported student subgroups reached all-time high graduation rates in 2025, with the largest gains concentrated among the groups that started furthest behind.

One in Two Dallas Students Is Learning English

Dallas ISD crossed 50% English learner enrollment in 2024, joining 53 other Texas districts where a majority of students are classified LEP.

A 2017 Reclassification Cut South Carolina's Native American Student Count in Half, on Paper

Native American enrollment fell 49.6% since 2015, but most of the drop is a reporting artifact. A 2017 reclassification into multiracial moved 2,065 students into a new category in one year.

Oregon's Hispanic-White Absence Gap Has Grown Sixfold Since 2015

In 2015, Hispanic and white students had nearly identical absence rates. By 2025, the gap had grown roughly sixfold to 9.8 points (40.5% vs 30.7%).

Fort Gibson Posted a 52% Graduation Rate in 2019. In 2025, It Was 99.1%.

Fort Gibson posted the longest active improvement streak in Oklahoma — five straight years of gains from 52% to 99.1%, with economically disadvantaged and Native American students at 100%.

Ohio Now 73,805 Below Pre-COVID Enrollment

Five years after COVID, Ohio's enrollment hasn't recovered. It's gotten worse. Two in three districts sit below their pandemic floor as losses accelerate.

NYC Gained Share of State Enrollment for 14 Straight Years. Then It Stopped.

NYC's share of New York enrollment rose from 36.8% to 40.4% as upstate shrank faster. COVID reversed the dynamic, and the city is now losing ground.

Espanola's Graduation Rate Climbed to 65.5% in 2017, but a 44-Point Gap Separates Its Native American Students

Espanola's overall graduation rate rose to 65.5% in 2017, but a 44-point gap separated its Native American students, the widest such gap of any New Mexico district that year.

How McKenzie County Absorbed the Oil Boom and Kept Graduation at 85.8%

McKenzie County grew enrollment 344.8% and still graduates 85.8% of seniors. Other oil-boom districts grew just as fast and now sit lower in the state's graduation table.

Boston Cut Chronic Absenteeism for a Fourth Straight Year. One in Three Students Is Still at Risk.

Boston Public Schools cut chronic absenteeism from 42.2% to 33.0% since 2022, but still sits 7.8 points above pre-COVID levels. Hispanic students and students receiving special education face rates above 40%.

Orleans Parish Crossed 80% for the First Time, but a 34-Point Gap Separates White and Hispanic Graduates

Orleans Parish hit 82% in 2024 and held above 80% in 2025, but a 34-point gap between white and Hispanic students exposes deep inequity within the all-charter system.

Indiana's White-Black Graduation Gap Was Nearly Halved in Three Years

The white-Black graduation gap in Indiana narrowed from 12.1 to 6.5 percentage points, with most of the closure happening in a rapid three-year span after 2022.

Indianapolis Suburbs Hold Attendance in Single Digits as IPS Works Down From Its COVID Peak

Zionsville, Carmel, and Fishers keep chronic absenteeism under 8%. IPS, three years into a steady decline, is at 32%, a 26.7-point metro gap.

22 Hawaii Schools Have Returned to Pre-COVID Attendance Levels. The Other 269 Are Still Waiting.

Twenty-two Hawaii schools have fully recovered to pre-COVID chronic absenteeism rates, led by charter schools. But 133 schools remain 10 or more percentage points worse than 2019.

Georgia's Special Ed Graduation Rate Has More Than Doubled

Georgia's special ed graduation rate rose from 29.8% to 78.4% in 14 years, the largest gain of any subgroup. The gap to peers shrank from 42 to 10 points.

Florida's Share of High-Absence Schools Slips From Its 2021-22 Peak, Down to 73%

Florida's share of schools with high chronic absenteeism eased from its 2021-22 peak of 76.3% to 73.0% by 2023-24, with about one in four schools now below the threshold. 496 schools still have a majority chronically absent.

NCC Vo-Tech Graduates 98% of Black Students

New Castle County Vo-Tech has essentially eliminated the equity gap in graduation rates, with Black students outperforming white peers by 2.6 percentage points.

174 California Districts Hit All-Time High Graduation Rates in 2025

Nearly 40% of California districts recorded their highest-ever graduation rate in 2025, including six of the largest, while only 37 hit all-time lows.

Arizona's Gender Absence Gap Emerged After COVID: Boys Are Now Consistently More Absent

Before COVID, Arizona had no gender gap in chronic absenteeism. By 2024-25, boys were 0.5 points above girls, a small but persistent new pattern.

Asian Students in Arkansas Graduate at 96 Percent. No Other Racial Group Is Close.

Asian students in Arkansas reached a 96.3% graduation rate in 2024, gaining 5.4 points since 2016, the largest improvement of any racial group.

The Poverty Attendance Gap Grew by 4.4 Points Since the Pandemic

Wisconsin's chronic absenteeism gap by income widened from 16.3 to 20.7 points since 2019, with nearly 1 in 3 lower-income students now chronically absent.

At Its 2020 Graduation Rate, North Dakota's Growing Class of 2024 Would Have Earned 573 More Diplomas

North Dakota's cohort keeps growing, but at its 2020 peak rate the class of 2024 would have earned 573 more diplomas. The cumulative gap is about 1,633.

One Parish Holds a Quarter of Louisiana's English Learners

Jefferson Parish enrolls 8,718 English learners at a 19.2% rate, nearly four times the state average and a quarter of Louisiana's EL total.

The Black-White Absence Gap Narrowed by Two-Thirds in Idaho

Black students cut their chronic absenteeism rate from 22.1% to 15.9% while white students barely moved, narrowing the gap from 9.1 points to 3.0.

Woodbridge Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 13 Points in One Year

Woodbridge's chronic absenteeism rate fell from 18.4% to 5.2% in 2024-25, the largest single-year improvement among Delaware traditional districts.

Half of Limestone County's Students Are Virtual

Alabama's three fastest-growing districts owe their growth to statewide virtual schools run by Pearson and Stride, not local enrollment gains.

Fairfax County Graduates 93% of Its Students. Three of Its Schools Tell a Different Story.

Fairfax County's 93.4% graduation rate masks three alternative schools where 40-79% of students drop out, serving 431 students where dropping out is the majority outcome.

Texas's Quiet Success Story: English Learner Graduation Rates Surge 7.6 Points in Four Years

Texas English learners gained 7.6 percentage points in graduation rate over four years, the largest improvement of any subgroup, cutting the gap with all students by more than half.

Corridor of Shame, 30 Years After Abbeville: Florence 2 Crosses 90% and Shows Geography Isn't Destiny

Thirty years after Abbeville, Florence 2 posted the largest graduation-rate gain in SC and crossed 90%, even as the 14 reporting Corridor of Shame districts still trail the rest of the state.

A Law Turned Three Rural Districts Into Virtual Giants

After Missouri removed enrollment barriers in 2022, three small districts hosting virtual academies grew by up to 559%, reshaping the state's enrollment map.

90% Survival Rate, With an Asterisk

Hawaii's 9th-to-12th survival rate hits 90% for the first time, but a 2024 reclassification of students who receive special education inflated the count. The real gain is smaller.

English Learners Made a 15-Point Leap in Two Years, the Fastest Improvement of Any Group

The graduation rate for Alabama students who are English learners rose from 67.9% to 83.3% in two years, the fastest gain of any subgroup and an all-time high.

70 Nevada Schools Where a Majority of Students Are Chronically Absent

The number of Nevada schools with chronic rates above 50% surged from 51 to 70 in 2024-25, reversing three years of progress. Clark County accounts for 38.

West Fargo Brought Chronic Absenteeism Back Down. What Can Other Districts Learn?

While neighboring Fargo's rate doubled to 26%, West Fargo cut its chronic absence from a 15% peak back to 12%, with mid-year 2024-25 data showing just 3.3%.

East Helena Grew 54% in Seven Years

East Helena K-12 added 681 students since 2019, growing 54% as housing on a former Superfund site draws families priced out of Helena.

Mississippi's Kindergarten Classes Shrank 15%. High Schools Haven't Felt It Yet.

Kindergarten enrollment fell 14.7% since 2016 while 12th grade barely moved. As smaller cohorts age up, high school enrollment will eventually collapse too.

Hastings Has Not Grown in 19 Years

Hastings is the only Minnesota district to decline every single year in the state's dataset. The 19-year streak has erased 1,118 students, 22% of enrollment.

Dearborn Grew While Michigan Shrank. Then It Hit a Wall.

Immigration-fueled growth made Dearborn Michigan's third-largest district. Seven consecutive years of decline now threaten that story.

Retraction: Burrton, Cedar Vale, Lewis and Triplains Are Open and Enrolling Students

Retraction: we reported that four Kansas school districts closed this year. Burrton, Cedar Vale, Lewis and Triplains are all open. We withdraw the article.

Connecticut Graduates 89% — and Can't Get Higher

Connecticut's four-year graduation rate has oscillated between 88.4% and 89.6% for four straight years, erasing the pre-COVID trajectory of steady gains.

Denver LEP Chronic Absenteeism Surged 3 Points as ICE Fears Spread

Chronic absenteeism among Denver's LEP students jumped to 44.2% in 2024-25, the sharpest increase among any subgroup except students who are currently homeless, as the district pointed to immigration enforcement as a factor.

102,000 Homeless Students Chronically Absent in California -- and the Number Keeps Climbing

The chronic rate for students who are currently homeless has fallen from its COVID peak, but the count reached a new high of 102,268 as California's housing crisis feeds its attendance crisis.

Alpena: A 3,000-Student District That Kept Improving After Everyone Else Stopped

Alpena cut chronic absenteeism from 26% to under 10% across two consecutive years while 87% of Arkansas districts got worse. The rural district now outperforms its own pre-COVID baseline.

For Every 100 Seniors, Alaska Has Only 84 Kindergartners

Alaska's kindergarten enrollment has fallen 15% since 2020 while 12th grade hit an all-time high, creating a pipeline inversion that will accelerate decline for years.

Providence Hits Its Highest Graduation Rate Under State Intervention

Providence posted a 79.4% graduation rate in 2024, its highest on record and a 5.8-point improvement since the state took over the district in 2019.

New Jersey Public School Enrollment, 2025-26: The Data Release

NJ recently released 2025-26 enrollment data. Total enrollment fell 23,732 to 1,357,450, the largest single-year drop in 27 years of state files. K-12 down 24,564. Hispanic and English-learner counts each fell for the first time in over a decade.

1 in 7: Wisconsin's Special Ed Share Hits a Record

Wisconsin's special education share hit 14.7% in 2025, crossing the 1-in-7 threshold at an all-time high even as total enrollment fell.

Nearly Half of Native American Students in Washington Miss Too Much School

Native American chronic absenteeism reached 45.6% in Washington, with tribal school districts reporting rates above 60% and a widening gap with white students.

One in Seven Virginia Students Is an English Learner

Virginia added 14,686 English learners in two years while total enrollment fell. Two divisions are now majority-LEP, and the growth is spreading statewide.

Only 8 of 60 Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Absence Levels

Despite nationally recognized attendance campaigns, only 13.3% of Rhode Island districts have recovered to pre-COVID chronic absenteeism levels.

PA English Learners Close the Chronic Absence Gap

English learner students are the only group in Pennsylvania whose chronic absence gap has fully closed, matching the statewide rate at 20.4%.

The White-Hispanic Graduation Gap in Oregon Has Shrunk From 15 Points to Under 5

Oregon's white-Hispanic graduation gap narrowed from 14.7 to 4.6 points since 2010. Hispanic students gained 24.7 points; in 23 districts they now lead.

The Omaha Metro Donut: 27.8 Percentage Points Separate the Core from Its Suburbs

Gretna graduates 99.3% of its seniors. Omaha Public Schools, just across a municipal line, graduates 71.5%. The 27.8-point gap maps onto the most visible divide in Nebraska education.

Hispanic Students Climbed From 52% to 83% in 18 Years

Hispanic students in North Carolina have cut the white-Hispanic graduation gap from 21 points to 6.5 while their cohort grew nearly fivefold. A 2024 breakout may signal the end of a 7-year plateau.

St. Louis City: Stuck at 70 Percent While the Rest of Missouri Soars

Missouri's graduation rate hit an all-time high, but St. Louis City remains trapped at 70 percent with a collapsing Hispanic rate and a shrinking cohort.

Kentucky's Widest Graduation Gap Belongs to English Learners

English learners graduate at 79%, 14.6 points below the state average, after a single-year reversal erased four years of progress.

The Special Ed Gap Is 18 Points -- Iowa's Most Persistent Equity Divide

Special education students in Iowa graduate at 70%, 18 points below the state average, and the gap has been stuck between 18 and 20 points for six straight years.

Hardee County's Freefall: From 91.4% to 73.6% in Four Years

Hardee County has declined for four consecutive years, losing 17.8 percentage points since 2020. Its male graduation rate of 69.3% is 18.6 points below the state average.

1 in 10 Arizona Students Is Now an English Learner

English learner enrollment surged 21% since 2022 even as Arizona lost 59,000 students overall, crossing the 10% threshold for the first time.

Rock Springs: The Canary in the Gas Mine

Sweetwater #1 has lost 22.1% of enrollment since its 2016 peak of 5,749 students, the steepest decline among Wyoming's mid-size and large districts.

One in Four of Vermont's Chronically Absent Students Receives Special Education Services

Students receiving special education services make up 25.4% of Vermont's chronically absent and recovered just 24.8% from the COVID peak, far less than their peers.

English Learners Lead Utah's Graduation Gains: 12.1 Points Since 2017, the Fastest Improvement of Any Subgroup

Utah's English learners improved graduation rates by 12.1 points since 2017, the fastest gain of any group, still trailing the state average by 10 points.

Granite District's Two Utahs: Skyline High at 97% and Granger High at 73%, Seven Miles Apart

Granite District's graduation rates span 97% at Skyline to 73% at Granger, seven miles apart. The gap is widening as overall district numbers improve.

Licking Heights: From 30 Asian Students to 1,471 in a Decade

A Columbus-area district grew 36.6% while Ohio shrank, fueled by Nepali, Somali, and other immigrant families drawn to affordable housing and jobs.

The 9th-Grade Bottleneck That Unclogged Itself

New York's 9th-grade bulge shrank from 18% to 5% over two decades as survival rates climbed from 71% to 92%, a quiet success inside the enrollment decline.

The Extra Year: How a 5th Year Gives Black Students a 7-Point Boost

Black students gain 7 points and Native American students 5.8 points with a fifth year, the largest gains among all subgroups in New Mexico.

Four Students, One District

Marmarth School District enrolled 4 students in 2025-26, making it the smallest of 33 North Dakota districts under 100 students.

Louisiana's Graduation Rate Hit a Record 85%. For English Learners, That Ceiling Has Barely Moved.

Louisiana hit a record 85% graduation rate in 2025, but students classified as English learners remain at 51.7%, a 33-point gap unchanged for seven years.

Indiana's Record Graduation Rate Comes With a Growing Asterisk

Indiana's grad rate gap (state vs. federal) nearly tripled since 2020. About 1,600 students now earn diplomas through waivers, not standard requirements.

At Nearly 9 in 10 Hawaii Schools, Native Hawaiian Students Miss More School Than Their Peers

Native Hawaiian students are chronically absent at higher rates than the overall student body at 88.7% of Hawaii schools, with a 25-point gap versus Asian students that has widened since COVID.

Maunaloa Elementary: From 63% Chronic Absenteeism to 2% on a Remote Molokai Island

Maunaloa Elementary on Molokai dropped from 63% chronic absenteeism in 2022 to 2% in 2025, the second-lowest rate in Hawaii and 13 points better than its own pre-pandemic baseline.

Crawford County Graduated 42% of Its Students. Now It Graduates 93%.

Crawford County posted a 50.7-point graduation rate gain since 2011, the second-largest in Georgia, one of 15 districts rising from below 60% to above 90%.

Collier County Defies Florida's Attendance Crisis: 14 Points Below the State Average

With a 17.4% chronic absenteeism rate, Collier County has been below the Florida average every year since tracking began, and the gap keeps growing.

Lake Forest Crossed 90%. No District Gained More.

Lake Forest posted Delaware's largest graduation-rate gain: up 12 points from its 2019 trough to 90.4%, first among all 16 traditional districts.

White Students Fell Below 50% in 2020. The Gap Keeps Widening.

Connecticut's public schools became majority-minority in 2020. Since then, white enrollment fell to 44.7% and Hispanic students have grown to 32.5%.

The White-Hispanic Graduation Gap Nearly Vanishes: Just 2.1 Points in 2025

The white-Hispanic graduation gap in California shrank from 6.5 to 2.1 percentage points as 287,000 Hispanic students approach graduation parity with white peers.

106 Arizona Districts Improved Chronic Absenteeism Three Years Running

106 Arizona districts improved chronic absenteeism every year from 2023 to 2025. Fort Thomas dropped 45 points; Tuba City cut its rate from 57% to 28%.

70 Arkansas Districts Report Exactly 95 Percent Graduation Rates. None of Them Are Real.

Nearly 30% of Arkansas districts report exactly 95.0% graduation rates, a data suppression artifact that hides true performance.

Madison's Chronic Absenteeism Rate Tripled in a Decade

Madison Metropolitan's chronic rate went from 7.1% in 2011 to 29.6% in 2025, a tripling that began before COVID and shows no sign of returning to baseline.

Washington District Cut Chronic Absence by 4.4 Points in Three Years

While most Utah districts remain stuck above pre-COVID absence levels, Washington District in St. George has posted three straight years of improvement.

One Utah District Just Crossed the 50% Chronic Absence Line

Uintah District's chronic absenteeism rate surged to 50.9% in 2025, making it the only traditional district in Utah where most students are missing school.

Fewer Than Half of North Dakota's Youth in Foster Care Graduate on Time

North Dakota's foster care graduation rate has collapsed to 44.7%, down 28 points from 73.1% in 2020, falling well below the national average.

NC's English Learners Went from Below-Average to Above-Average Absence

English learners in North Carolina had lower chronic absence than the state average before COVID. Now they are 3.9 points above it, a complete reversal.

Multiracial Students Now Tied with Hispanic as Maine's Third-Largest Group

Maine's multiracial enrollment surged 62% in nine years to 6,652. Three growing groups converge as white enrollment sheds nearly 20,000.

Only 7 of 74 Louisiana Parishes Have Recovered From COVID

Seven years after the pandemic, 90.5% of Louisiana parishes remain below 2019 enrollment. The deficit is deepening, not closing.

Snake River District's 3.1% Rate Shows What's Possible in Rural Idaho

Snake River District dropped from 10.3% to 3.1% chronic absenteeism in two years (less than one-quarter of the state average) in a cluster of eastern Idaho districts defying the statewide trend.

86% and Stuck: Why Hawaii's Graduation Rate Stopped Climbing

Hawaii's graduation rate flatlined near 86% after a decade of gains. A 17-point Pacific Islander gap reveals who the plateau leaves behind.

Native Hawaiian Graduation Rate Falls to 80.3%

Native Hawaiian students lost 3.2 percentage points since 2021 while the state held steady, opening the widest equity gap in nine years of data.

Seaford Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 21 Points in Three Years

The small Sussex County district went from one of Delaware's worst attendance performers to beating the state average, with 753 fewer students chronically absent.

One in Three Alabama Districts at All-Time Enrollment Lows

Fifty-one Alabama districts hit record-low enrollment in 2025-26, including the four largest. The decline spans urban, rural, and suburban systems.

Danville's Graduation Rate Has Fallen Every Year Since 2019. Its Dropout Rate Has Nearly Doubled.

Danville City's graduation rate dropped from 81.8% to 73.3% over four years, while its dropout rate climbed from 9.4% to 17%, the largest increase in Virginia.

El Paso's Slide: The Border City's Graduation Rate Drops 5.3 Points While the Valley Thrives

El Paso ISD's graduation rate fell from 87.6% to 82.3% over five years while Rio Grande Valley districts like McAllen ISD climbed to 98.3%. Same demographics, different trajectories.

English Learners Are Losing Ground as South Carolina's Graduation Rate Climbs

English learners dropped from 80.3% to 77.8% between 2018 and 2025 while the overall state rate climbed from 81.0% to 86.7%. They are one of three subgroups to lose ground.

One in Three Nebraska Seniors Is Chronically Absent

Nebraska's 12th-grade chronic absenteeism rate hit 34.5% in 2024-25, more than double the kindergarten rate and triple the third-grade rate.

38 Connecticut Districts Never Had a Chronic Absenteeism Problem, Even During COVID's First Year

Thirty-eight districts stayed below the state average for chronic absenteeism every year from 2012 through 2020, showing that sustained low absence is achievable across diverse community types.

Montgomery's 17-Point Crash Was the Biggest in the State. Two Years Later, It's Still Not Back.

Montgomery County's graduation rate crashed 17 points in 2023, the largest single-year district drop in Alabama. Two years later, it has recovered only partially.

Nevada's Charter Schools Beat Traditional Districts on Attendance

SPCSA charter schools have a weighted chronic rate of 23.3% vs. 33.9% for traditional districts. But the charter sector includes both the state's best and worst schools.

Only 14% of North Dakota Districts Have Recovered to Pre-Pandemic Absence Levels

Just 13 of 93 districts with comparable data have returned to pre-COVID chronic absenteeism rates, while 31% are at their all-time worst in 2024.

Denver Worsened While Aurora Quietly Improved: A Tale of Two Urban Districts

Denver's chronic absenteeism reversed course in 2024-25 while neighboring Aurora kept improving for a third straight year, narrowing a gap that once seemed structural.

Hispanic Students Are 55% of California's Enrollment but 65% of Its Chronically Absent

739,000 Hispanic students are chronically absent, making up nearly two-thirds of the state's attendance crisis. The Hispanic-white gap doubled since pre-COVID.

The 33 Districts That Never Hit 20%: Arkansas's Attendance Floor

While Arkansas's statewide chronic absence rate lurched from 14% to 27%, 33 districts kept their rates below 20% in every single measured year — including the COVID spike.

The White-Black Graduation Gap Narrowed to 4.8 Points in 2018, Then Doubled Back to 9

Rhode Island's white-Black graduation gap was closing steadily until 2018, reaching a record-low 4.8 points. Six years later, it's back to 9 points.

Multiracial Students Tripled in Wisconsin, and They're Still Growing

Multiracial enrollment tripled from 13,197 to 44,968 in 14 years, making it Wisconsin's fastest-growing demographic by a wide margin.

Quillayute Valley's 4.6% Chronic Rate Is the Lowest in Washington

A 4,480-student district on the Olympic Peninsula has stayed below the state average for 11 straight years, with a 2025 chronic rate one-sixth of the statewide norm.

One in Three Virginia Divisions at Record-Low Enrollment

43 of Virginia's 131 school divisions hit all-time low enrollment in 2025, from Virginia Beach to Highland County's 208 students.

Providence's 20-Point Turnaround: From 57% to 36% Chronic Absenteeism in Two Years

Providence Public Schools cut chronic absenteeism from 57% to 36% in two years under state control — the only large RI district to recover to pre-COVID levels.

York City's 27-Point Recovery From 63% Chronic Absence

York City SD dropped from 63.4% chronic absence to 36.8% in two years, the second-largest improvement in Pennsylvania. The recovery crossed every subgroup.

Medford's 8-Year Reporting Streak: From 62% to 88% Graduation Rate

Medford SD 549C improved its graduation rate for 8 consecutive reporting years, climbing from 61.6% in 2010 to 88.1% in 2025.

Nearly Half of Nebraska's English Learners Don't Graduate on Time — and the Crisis Is Accelerating

Nebraska's English learner graduation rate has fallen from 64% to 52% over 14 years while the overall rate barely moved. The 41-point gap to white students is the state's widest equity chasm.

The White-Black Graduation Gap Halved, But Progress Has Stalled

North Carolina cut the white-Black graduation gap from 13 points to 5 in a decade. Then it stopped narrowing. The remaining gap means about 1,600 Black students per year who would graduate at white rates.

Two Cities, Two Trajectories: Kansas City Surges Past St. Louis

Kansas City 33 and St. Louis City were within 2 points of each other in 2019. By 2025, an 18-point chasm had opened between Missouri's two largest urban districts.

Hispanic Graduation Gains Erased in a Single Year

Kentucky's Hispanic graduation rate climbed 5 points from 2022 to 2024, then dropped 2.1 points in 2025, the only racial group to decline while every other improved.

Iowa's White-Black Graduation Gap Is 15 Points -- And It Hasn't Budged

The gap between white and Black graduation rates in Iowa has held steady at 15-18 points for six years, even as the state's overall rate returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Nearly Half of Florida's Districts Now Graduate 90% — Up From Less Than 10% Eight Years Ago

The number of Florida county districts graduating 90% or more of their students has surged from 6 to 29 since 2016, while districts below 70% have disappeared entirely.

Queen Creek Doubled in Eight Years. Now the Growth Is Slowing.

Queen Creek Unified grew 117% since 2018, the fastest traditional district in Arizona. But annual gains have fallen from 2,299 to 374, raising questions about what comes next.

Only 6 of 48 Districts Have Recovered from COVID

Wyoming was among the first states to reopen schools, yet only 6 of 48 districts have returned to pre-COVID enrollment. The post-pandemic decline has been 2.7 times larger than the initial COVID drop.

19 Vermont Districts Improved Their Chronic Absenteeism Every Year Since the 2022 Peak

Three-quarters of Vermont districts with complete data cut their chronic rate in consecutive years, though many remain well above pre-COVID baselines.

Texas Added 1.1 Million Students, Then Enrollment Growth Stopped

Texas grew by 1.1 million students over 15 years, but the growth rate halved every five years. In 2026, it fell.

Multiracial Students Are Now SC's Fourth-Largest Racial Group

Multiracial enrollment has surged 73% since 2017, adding 21,312 students to become the state's fourth-largest racial group and reshaping how schools count their students.

Oklahoma's Graduation Gap by Income Is Closing for the First Time in Seven Years

The graduation gap between students who are economically disadvantaged and their peers peaked at 14.3 points, then shrank to 10.6 over two years.

11 Ohio Districts Have Lost Students Every Year Since 2015

Eleven districts have declined every single year for 11 straight years, losing 30.7% of their combined enrollment. Most are clustered in northeast Ohio.

From 69% to 86%: How Hobbs Became One of New Mexico's Graduation Success Stories

Hobbs Municipal Schools climbed from 69% to 86% graduation in eight years, outpacing wealthier districts while serving a high-poverty, majority-Hispanic population.

One in Three Pre-K Students in New Jersey Is Chronically Absent

NJ pre-K chronic absenteeism hit 29.7% in 2023-24, double the state average, even as the state expands universal preschool to 80,000 children.

Six Districts, Half the State

Six urban districts now serve 49.2% of North Dakota students, up from 46.6% in 2008, as the state's 159 remaining districts split the other half.

Graduation Rate for Louisiana Students in Foster Care Nearly Doubled, From 35% to 64% in Seven Years

Louisiana's graduation rate for students in foster care climbed from 34.8% to 63.5% since 2018, the largest improvement of any subgroup, though volatility and a 21-point gap remain.

East Chicago's Graduation Rate Climbed 30 Points and Closed Its Gap With Indiana to Under 2

School City of East Chicago lifted its graduation rate from 59.6% in 2017 to 90.0% in 2025, closing a gap with the state average from nearly 28 points to under 2.

Georgia's Hispanic Cohort Doubled. The Rate Still Climbed 25 Points.

Georgia's Hispanic graduating class grew from 11,654 to 27,276 in 14 years while the graduation rate rose from 57.6% to 82.3%, producing 15,739 additional diplomas per year.

Same Size, Different Worlds: Putnam and Walton Counties Have a 33-Point Absenteeism Gap

Putnam County's chronic absenteeism rate is 57.5%. Walton County's is 24.3%. Both are rural districts with similar enrollment. The gap has nearly doubled since 2019.

Two Districts Where One in Three Boys Don't Graduate on Time

In Seaford and Christina, male graduation rates sit near 67%, more than 13 percentage points behind female peers. Vo-tech districts show the gap can close.

Oakland Unified's Graduation Rate Falls to 75.1%, Lowest Among California's Large Urban Districts

Oakland Unified's graduation rate dropped 5.5 points in one year to 75.1%, the largest decline of any large California district and the lowest among urban peers.

The Hispanic-White Chronic Absence Gap Nearly Doubled After COVID in Arizona

The gap between Hispanic and white chronic absenteeism in Arizona jumped from 5.5 points before COVID to 10.1 points, with no sign of narrowing.

Arkansas's Graduation Gap by Income Is 2.1 Points. In Most States, It Is Ten Times That.

Economically disadvantaged students in Arkansas graduate at 86.9%, just 2.1 points below the state average, one of the narrowest income gaps in the nation.

Wisconsin's Charter Schools Have Nearly Double the Chronic Absenteeism Rate

Charter schools in Wisconsin have a weighted chronic absenteeism rate of 30.6% versus 16.9% for traditional districts, a gap that nearly doubled since 2019.

Minot's Graduation Rate Crossed Below 70% in 2024, Down 19 Points Since 2013

Minot Public Schools crossed below 70% graduation for the first time in 2024, capping a 19.3-point decline from 89.2% in 2013.

Durham's Chronic Absence Recovery Has Stalled at 37%

Durham Public Schools improved from a 41% peak to 37%, then flatlined. The district has the highest chronic rate among NC's 30,000+ student districts.

Lewiston Held Its Enrollment Steady While Auburn, Across the River, Lost Seven Straight Years

Lewiston's enrollment held within 3% of its 2017 level while twin-city Auburn, separated by a bridge, declined 9.1% over seven years. Immigration is pulling the two cities apart.

Jefferson Parish Hits Its Lowest Enrollment Ever

Louisiana's largest traditional district lost 2,053 students in one year, its steepest drop, as immigration enforcement reshapes a diversifying parish.

Idaho Closed Most of Its Absenteeism Gaps Since 2021. One Has Barely Moved.

Idaho narrowed its Black, Native American, and Hispanic absenteeism gaps since 2021. The gap for students with disabilities has held within 1.4 points the whole time.

Delaware Cut Chronic Absenteeism 8.6 Points Since 2022. The Gap by Income Hasn't Closed.

Delaware's chronic absenteeism rate fell from 25.7% in 2022 to 17.1% in 2025, but the 14.7-point gap for students who are economically disadvantaged has persisted.

One in 14 Alabama Students Is Now an English Learner

Alabama's English learner population has nearly quadrupled since 2015, from 13,793 to 51,068 students, reshaping classrooms from the poultry corridor to Birmingham.

Nearly One in Four Richmond Students Drops Out. At One School, It's Nearly Half.

Richmond City's 23.8% dropout rate is nearly five times the state average. George Wythe High had 48.4% of its cohort drop out in 2023.

Houston and Dallas: Texas's Two Largest Districts Both Graduate Under 85%

Houston ISD and Dallas ISD both posted 84% graduation rates for the Class of 2024, sitting about 6 points below the state average of 90.7%.

Three in Four Districts Still Above 2021 Levels

Only 35 of 142 Tennessee districts have recovered to 2020-21 chronic absenteeism levels. The pandemic reset attendance norms for 75% of communities.

From 59% to 83%: Charter Institute at Erskine's Graduation Rate Transformation

The Charter Institute at Erskine improved its aggregate graduation rate from 58.9% to 82.8% in six years, the largest improvement of any entity in South Carolina.

Only 28% of Nebraska Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Chronic Absenteeism Levels

Nearly three in four Nebraska districts still have higher chronic absenteeism than before COVID -- and not a single large district has recovered.

One in Three Missouri Districts at Lowest Enrollment Ever

201 of Missouri's 557 school districts hit all-time low enrollment in 2025-26, spanning rural towns, inner-ring suburbs, and urban cores alike.

458 More Seniors Than Kindergartners

Hawaii's K-to-12th-grade ratio fell to 96.2 in 2025-26, the second straight year with more seniors than kindergartners, as birth rate decline and a 2014 age cutoff change lock in further enrollment losses.

Georgia Cyber Academy Has Not Had a Good Year in Seven

Georgia's largest virtual charter has seen chronic absenteeism rise every year since 2019, reaching 17.2% even as the state's rate fell.

Greenwich Virtually Eliminated Chronic Absenteeism — Then COVID Arrived

Greenwich School District cut its chronic absenteeism rate from 8% in 2013 to 0.1% in 2020, one of only 8 districts to hit an all-time low during the pandemic-shortened school year.

Alabama's Hidden Revolution: The Diploma Quality Gap Collapsed in a Decade

Alabama's gap between graduation rate and college/career readiness collapsed from 49 points to 4 over a decade, one of the most dramatic diploma quality improvements in any state.

Nevada's Native American Students Cut Chronic Absenteeism by 7 Points Since 2022, but the Gap With White Peers Has Doubled

Chronic absenteeism among Native American students in Nevada has fallen from 51.5% in 2021-22 to 44.8% in 2023-24, but the gap with white students has nearly doubled since 2018-19.

Grand Forks Cut Total Absences by 34-43%. Can the Model Scale?

After years of worsening attendance, Grand Forks implemented a new policy that produced the district's first improvement since pre-COVID, dropping chronic absence 4 points to 23%.

Helena HS Lost More Students Than Any Montana High School

Helena's high school district shed 451 students since 2018 while East Helena, five miles away, surged 54%. The capital city's suburban donut is reshaping school funding.

87 Mississippi Districts Hit Record-Low Enrollment

More than half of Mississippi's 152 school districts are at their lowest enrollment ever recorded, led by Jackson, Vicksburg, and Meridian.

Every Other Group Is Growing. White Enrollment Is Not.

Minnesota lost 130,507 white students since 2007 while every other racial group grew. White decline exceeds the state's entire net enrollment change.

Grade 12 Grew While Grade 1 Collapsed

Michigan's K-8 grades lost 229,625 students since 1996 while high school barely moved. The pipeline inversion is just reaching secondary.

Retraction: Our Statewide Race and Ethnicity Figures for Kansas Schools Were Not Supported by the Data

Retraction: our report that white students had fallen to 60% of Kansas enrollment rested on incomplete district counts. We withdraw the article in full.

Colorado's K-2 Students Improved Attendance in 2024-25 While Every High School Grade Slipped Past 30%

Colorado's chronic absenteeism climbs from 23% in elementary to 41% in 12th grade. K-2 rates improved in 2024-25 while all four high school grades worsened.

California's Youngest Students Are Leading the Attendance Recovery. High School Is Where the Work Remains.

California elementary grades cut chronic absenteeism by 1 to 1.6 points last year. Grades 9-12 improved just 0.2 points and stayed near 24%.

Lincoln's Mentor Model: Every Student Has Someone Who Checks In

Lincoln School District pairs every student with a mentor and operates on a 4-day week. The data confirms it works: chronic absence is back to its pre-COVID level of 9.3%.

Every Year, Alaska Gains Seniors It Never Lost

Alaska's 12th grade class consistently outnumbers the prior year's 11th graders, driven by correspondence school re-entry and credit recovery.

Hispanic Chronic Absence in Illinois Has Improved From Its Pandemic Peak. The Gap With White Students Has Not.

Hispanic chronic absenteeism has fallen from 36.1% at its 2022 peak to 31.7%, but the gap with white students has held at about 14 points for four years.

In Providence, White Students Graduate at the Lowest Rate of the Four Largest Racial Groups

Providence's white students graduate at 75.2%, the lowest among the district's four largest racial groups, reversing the statewide pattern where white students lead at 88.5%.

Two in Five Wisconsin Districts Hit All-Time Low

174 of 446 Wisconsin school districts recorded their lowest enrollment ever in 2025-26, including nine of the state's 10 largest.

High School Attendance Isn't Recovering in Washington

Elementary schools have recovered nearly half their COVID attendance losses, but high school chronic absenteeism remains within 1.5 points of the pandemic peak.

Fairfax County Lost 8,371 Students While Its Population Grew

Virginia's largest school division lost 4.4% of its enrollment since 2020 even as its school-age population increased by 9,000. Where did the families go?

Pawtucket's High Schools: 1 in 2 Students Chronically Absent

Half of Pawtucket's high schoolers are chronically absent — the rate is still rising while the rest of Rhode Island improves. Tolman High hit 59%.

PA's Black-White Absence Gap Widened 3.7 Points Since COVID

The Black-white chronic absence gap in Pennsylvania grew from 8.2 to 11.9 percentage points. English learners are the only group that closed their gap.

Native American Graduation Rates Climbed 24 Points in Oregon, but Wide Gaps Remain Between Districts

Oregon's Native American graduation rate improved from 50% to 74% since 2010. Jefferson County graduates at 87%, Portland at 48%.

Grand Island Hits All-Time Low at 75.9% — District Says It's a One-Year Blip

Grand Island Public Schools posted a 75.9% graduation rate in 2025, its worst on record. The district says an ELL enrollment policy change created a one-time bubble, but the underlying trend was already declining.

Guilford County: From 74% to a Record 92%, Outpacing Every Large NC District

Guilford County Schools just posted a record 92.2% graduation rate, the highest of any large NC district. The state's third-largest system hasn't dipped below 89% since 2016.

Springfield's Six-Year Streak: From 87 Percent to a Record 99 Percent

Springfield R-XII improved its graduation rate every year since 2019, reaching 98.9 percent with a 2,017-student cohort. It now leads all large Missouri districts.

Kentucky's Foster Care Graduates Beat the National Odds

Foster care students in Kentucky graduate at 82.5%, far above the national norm of 50-65%, after a 15-point climb since 2021.

Des Moines Has Lost 5 Points Since 2019 — The State Capital's Graduation Slide

Des Moines Independent graduated 71% of students in 2024, down from 76% in 2019, while suburban Johnston and Waukee exceed 97% -- creating a 26-point gap within the same metro area.

The ELL Whiplash: Florida's English Learner Gap Closed During COVID — Then Reopened

Florida's English learner graduation gap narrowed to just 4 points during COVID assessment waivers, then blew back to 14.3 points when requirements returned. The V-shaped pattern raises hard questions about assessment policy.

Arizona Lost 505 Kindergarten Classrooms in Nine Years

K enrollment fell 15.9% since 2018, signaling years of continued decline as smaller cohorts advance through the system.

Casper's Enrollment Decline Has Accelerated for Three Straight Years

Natrona County School District #1 lost 443 students in 2025-26, capping three straight years of accelerating decline that has erased 25 years of growth.

One in 18 West Virginia Students Is Now Classified as Homeless

The number of West Virginia students who are currently homeless surged 69% since 2018, even as total enrollment fell 11%. Their attendance rate lags 2.3 points behind the state average.

Kingdom East Cut Its Chronic Absenteeism Rate by 28 Points in Two Years

Vermont's Northeast Kingdom district went from 50.6% to 22.5% chronic absenteeism, the largest turnaround in the state, with nearby St. Johnsbury showing a similar pattern.

IDEA Public Schools Is Now Bigger Than Austin ISD

A charter that started with 659 students is now Texas' 6th-largest district at 79,608. But its growth engine just stalled.

SC's Coastal Growth Engine Just Stalled

Berkeley, Horry, and Charleston all flipped from growth to decline in 2026, joining 14 other districts in a coordinated reversal.

16 Oregon Districts Beat Pre-COVID Attendance. None of the Largest Are Among Them.

16 of 178 Oregon school districts have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism levels. None of the state's 10 largest districts are among them.

Tulsa's Graduation Rate Fell 12 Points in Four Years. It Has Only Partly Recovered.

Tulsa Public Schools' graduation rate dropped from 78% to 66% between 2020 and 2024, and the partial rebound to 70.6% leaves it far below every large-district peer.

Career-Tech Enrollment Soars While Traditional Districts Shrink

Ohio's 49 Joint Vocational School Districts added 20,389 students in five years while traditional districts shed 78,000. The boom is straining capacity.

District 75 Grew 42% While NYC Shrank

NYC's citywide special education district added 8,794 students since 2005, even as the rest of the city lost 223,000. It is now the state's 11th-largest district entity.

The 15-Point Gap: Native American Students Graduate at 61% in New Mexico

Native American students in New Mexico graduated at 61% in 2017, 15 points below white peers. Three districts cleared 80%, showing the gap is not inevitable.

Three in Five New Jersey Students Experiencing Homelessness Make It to Class. The Gap to Their Peers Hasn't Closed.

Students who are currently homeless miss school at nearly triple the state average, and the gap has widened since the pandemic despite statewide improvements.

Bismarck-Mandan's 18-Year Growth Engine Stalls

Bismarck-Mandan added 4,328 students since 2008, but K enrollment has fallen 19% in four years and Bismarck just posted its first non-COVID decline.

Maine's Students From Migrant Farmworker Families Posted the State's Largest Attendance Gain

Students from Maine's migrant farmworker families cut chronic absenteeism by 21.9 points from 2022 to 2024, the largest gain of any subgroup.

42 Massachusetts Districts Beat Chronic Absenteeism Back to Pre-COVID. Voc-Tech Schools Led the Way.

42 of 393 Massachusetts districts have brought chronic absenteeism back to pre-COVID levels. Voc-tech schools recovered at nearly triple the statewide rate.

Morehouse Parish: From 64% to 89%, Louisiana's Most Dramatic Graduation Turnaround

Morehouse Parish climbed from a 64.3% graduation rate to 88.5% in 2025, the largest turnaround of any Louisiana parish over the period.

Indiana's Chronic Absenteeism Recovery Is Running Out of Steam

Three years of improvement have closed less than half the gap opened by COVID, and each year's gains are shrinking.

When English Learners Out-Graduate Everyone: Indiana's Rate Hits 92.4%

Indiana's English learners now graduate at 92.4%, surpassing the overall state average of 91.8% after a 32-point climb from a 2017 trough.

Linapuni Elementary's Turnaround: From 92% Chronic Absenteeism to 28% in Three Years

Linapuni Elementary in Kalihi went from a 92% chronic absenteeism rate in 2022 to 28% in 2025, leading a neighborhood-wide attendance recovery in one of Honolulu's poorest communities.

76 Georgia Districts Hit All-Time Highs

In 2025, 76 Georgia districts recorded their best-ever graduation rates while zero hit all-time lows, an unprecedented concentration of success across the state.

Polk County's Attendance Crisis: From 19% to 39% Chronic Absenteeism in Six Years

Polk County's chronic absenteeism rate has more than doubled since 2018, with 50,277 of 128,510 students now missing 10% or more of school.

Delaware's Vo-Tech Districts Graduate 97%, Ten Points Above Traditional Schools

Delaware's three vo-tech districts have graduated above 95% for nine straight years, a 10-point edge that holds across student subgroups.

Newtown Has Lost Students Every Year for 15 Years

Newtown School District has declined every year since 2012, losing 1,583 students and nearly a third of its enrollment in Connecticut's longest active decline streak.

Foster Youth Graduation Gap Is California's Widest at 19 Points

Students in foster care graduate at 68.5% in California, 19 points below the state average — the widest equity gap among graduation subgroups.

Peoria, Amphitheater, and Washington Elementary Cut Chronic Absence by More Than 15 Points

Three large Arizona districts cut chronic absenteeism 17-20 points in three years, proving sustained recovery is possible in diverse, working-class communities.

Little Rock's Graduation Rate Climbed for a Third Year. Bryant Sets the Bar at 96 Percent.

Little Rock School District graduates 82.3% of students, up from 80.0% in 2022. Suburban Bryant, 20 minutes south, hits 96.2%.

Three in Five Native American Students in Wisconsin Are in Class. The Districts Working to Lift That Number.

Native American students in Wisconsin show a 38.9% chronic absence rate against a state average of 17.3%, with tribal nations leading culturally responsive responses.

Prescott's New Superintendent Helped Pull the District Back From Dissolution. Now He's Leading the Recovery.

Jeff Foertsch, a 25-year Prescott educator, takes the superintendency after helping the district avert dissolution. The recovery plan ahead.

Logan's Attendance Crisis Now Exceeds Its COVID Peak

Nearly half of Logan City District students are chronically absent, a rate that has more than tripled since 2017 and now surpasses the district's pandemic high.

Fort Mill's 8.5% Chronic Rate Shows What's Possible in South Carolina

Fort Mill School District maintains the lowest chronic absenteeism of any large SC district, with even its most disadvantaged students below the state average.

Franklin's 29-Point Climb: From 56% to 85% in Five Years

Franklin graduated 84.8% of its Class of 2025, up from a 56.3% trough in 2020, the largest sustained turnaround of any traditional district in New Hampshire.

The 24-Point Gap: Native American Students Graduate at 63% While White Peers Reach 88%

The white-Native American graduation gap widened back to 24 points, erasing all gains made between 2013 and 2018.

NC's Black-White Chronic Absence Gap Nearly Doubled After COVID

North Carolina's Black-White chronic absenteeism gap widened from 6.7 to 11.7 points after COVID, and every racial gap followed the same pattern.

One in Three Maine Districts at Record-Low Enrollment

Eighty-three of Maine's 214 districts hit all-time lows in 2026, including Portland, as three years of accelerating decline force budget cuts statewide.

Two-Thirds of Louisiana Parishes Are Now Majority-Minority

Forty-eight of 75 Louisiana parishes are now majority-minority, up from 42 in 2019. Six suburban and rural parishes crossed the 50% threshold.

Boise's One-in-Five Absenteeism Problem

Idaho's largest district has a 21% chronic absenteeism rate (three points higher than 2021) with a 69-point spread between its best and worst schools.

Delaware's Racial Attendance Gap Is Wider Than Before COVID

Black students in Delaware are chronically absent at 20.3%, down from a 31.3% peak but still 6.3 pp above white peers. The gap is 0.8 pp wider than 2019.

Alabama Is 32,000 Students Below Its Pre-COVID Trajectory

If pre-pandemic trends had held, Alabama would have 746,099 students. Instead it has 714,363, and the gap widens every year.

Hampton City Graduates 96% of Its Students. Most Larger Divisions Cannot Say the Same.

Hampton City graduated 96.4% of its 1,461-student cohort in 2023, outperforming wealthier suburban divisions like Stafford and Chesterfield.

Karnes City ISD: From 94% to 41% in Five Years, Texas's Most Dramatic Graduation Collapse

Karnes City ISD's graduation rate fell from 94.2% to 41.4% over five years -- the largest decline of any Texas district -- as the Eagle Ford Shale town faces population volatility.

One in Four High Schoolers Is Chronically Absent

Tennessee's high school chronic absenteeism rate is nearly 50% higher than K-8, and the gap has widened every year since 2023.

South Carolina's White-Black Graduation Gap Peaked During COVID. Now It's Narrowing.

Black students in SC reached an 83.5% graduation rate in 2025, gaining 5.4 points in four years and narrowing the white-Black gap from a COVID peak of 8.8 to 5.8 points.

The 38-Point Divide: Bennington at 7%, Omaha at 45% -- Separated by 15 Miles

Nine Omaha-area school districts, separated by minutes on the highway, produce chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 7% to 45% -- a 38-point chasm.

Normandy Lost More Than Half Its Students. The State Gave It Back.

Normandy Schools Collaborative fell from 5,585 to 2,589 students over 25 years, a 53.6% decline driven by accreditation loss and state takeover.

Kansas City Schools Lost 60% of Its Students. Then It Started Growing.

After losing 60% of its students, Kansas City Public Schools has posted three years of growth, fueled by immigrant families.

Frederick and Howard Are Maryland's Attendance Leaders. They Still Haven't Hit the State Target.

Maryland's two lowest-absence counties, at 16.8% and 17.3%, remain above the state's own 15% goal. Even the best is not good enough.

One in Three: Waterloo and Davenport's Persistent Absence Crisis

Despite statewide improvement, Waterloo (33.5%) and Davenport (33.2%) still have one in three students chronically absent, more than double the state average.

Maui's Post-Wildfire Decline Slows but Won't Stop

Maui County lost 281 students in 2025-26, a fraction of last year's 807-student plunge. The wildfire spike has passed but the decline continues.

Hawaii's Crash Era Deepens as Losses Nearly Quadruple

Hawaii lost 3,425 students in 2025-26 after losing just 901 two years earlier. Six years into a crash era, the state has shed 17,437 students.

Nearly Three in Four Georgia Students Are Economically Disadvantaged. Their Absence Rate Is Double.

The gap between economically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged chronic absence rates has widened 50% since the pandemic, with 316,000 students chronically absent.

Waterbury's 5.5-Point Spike: The Largest Single-Year Jump Among Connecticut's Urban Districts

Waterbury's chronic absenteeism proxy rate jumped 5.5 points to 21% in the COVID-shortened 2020 — the largest single-year spike among Alliance Districts.

Alabama's Foster Care Graduation Rate Is the Only One That Hasn't Recovered

Alabama's foster care graduation rate fell from 77% in 2019 to 62% in 2025, the only subgroup with a net decline while every other group improved.

Washoe County: Steady Improvement, 5 Points Below Clark

Washoe County's weighted chronic rate of 30.5% is 4.5 points below Clark County, with consistent school-mean improvement from 31.0% in 2021 to 27.5% in 2025.

Nebraska Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners

Grade 12 hit an all-time high of 26,008 in 2025-26 while kindergarten dropped to 21,275, near its early-2000s trough, widening a gap that signals a shrinking enrollment pipeline.

Native American Students in North Dakota Cut 5 Points From Their COVID Attendance Peak, More Than Any Other Group. The Gap Widened Anyway.

Four of five racial gaps in North Dakota chronic absenteeism are wider than 2019. But the recovery has been uneven across groups: Native American students recovered most from their pandemic peak, Pacific Islander students recovered not at all, and the Asian-white gap inverted.

Montana Now Serves 4,720 Students Who Are English Learners, Half Speaking Native American Languages

Enrollment of students who are English learners grew 51.6% in eight years even as Montana lost students overall, with nearly half speaking Native American languages.

Only 12 of 143 Districts Have Recovered from COVID

Mississippi lost 23,390 students in the pandemic year. Five years later, it has lost 18,035 more. Only 12 traditional districts recovered.

Minnesota's Largest School Has No Building

A virtual campus run by Pearson now enrolls more students than any brick-and-mortar school in Minnesota. Online enrollment has tripled since COVID.

Flint Lost 90% of Its Students. The Water Crisis Was Only One Chapter.

Flint Community Schools enrolled 24,934 students in 1997. In 2025, just 2,541 remain, an 89.8% collapse driven by deindustrialization, school choice, and the water crisis.

Kansas Lost 16,000 Students to COVID. Then It Lost 5,000 More.

Five years after COVID emptied Kansas classrooms, the state has not recovered a student. Nearly six in 10 districts sit below their COVID trough.

Most Colorado Native American Students Are in Class. Douglas County Shows the Rate Can Be Much Higher.

More than half of Colorado's Native American students attended regularly in 2024-25, but the 45.3% chronic-absence rate worsened faster than any other group's. A handful of districts, led by Douglas County at 23%, point to what's working.

Foster Youth: The Only Student Group in California Where Chronic Absenteeism Is Getting Worse

At 37.3%, foster youth have the highest chronic absence rate of any student group and are the only one where the rate increased last year.

The Only District in Arkansas Where Attendance Has Improved Every Single Year

While 87% of Arkansas districts saw chronic absenteeism worsen in 2024, Hoxie cut its rate in half over five years — the only district to improve in every measured period.

Six Alaska Districts Have Fewer Than 100 Students

From Pelican's 16 students to the Pribilof Islands' 56, Alaska's smallest districts face existential questions about whether they can keep their doors open.

East St. Louis Cut Its Chronic Absenteeism Rate as Five Metro East Districts Crossed 50%

In 11 Illinois districts, more students are chronically absent than not. Five are clustered in the Metro East region, where rates reach as high as 63.6%. East St. Louis, the hardest-hit in 2019, has since improved.

Central Falls' Graduation Rate Has Collapsed 22 Points Since 2015

After 33 years of state control, Central Falls' graduation rate peaked at 81.2% in 2015 and has fallen to 58.7% — with a dropout rate of 25.2%.

Wisconsin's English Learner Population Grew 43% While Schools Shrank

Wisconsin's English learner population grew 43% to 55,772 while total enrollment fell 8%, reshaping staffing and funding demands across 384 districts.

Quillayute Valley Keeps 96% of Its Students Who Are Homeless in Class. Statewide, Half Are Chronically Absent.

About 22,900 students who are currently homeless in Washington are chronically absent — 51.1% — but two rural districts post rates under 10%, suggesting what intensive support can do.

One in Five Virginia Students Is Now Hispanic

Hispanic enrollment crossed 20% for the first time in 2024-25, adding 59,229 students since 2017 while Black enrollment fell. The gap between the two groups shrank to 14,794.

One in Four Rhode Island Students Is Chronically Absent — Down from One in Three

Rhode Island's chronic absenteeism fell from 34.1% to 24.8%, but 33,061 students still miss 10%+ of school. Middle schools are recovering slowest.

Chester-Upland: Never Below 50% Chronic Absence

Chester-Upland SD in Delaware County has never recorded a chronic absence rate below 50% in seven years of data, the only multi-school district in PA with that distinction.

Oregon's Graduation Rate for Students with Disabilities Nearly Doubled: 41.8% to 72.2%

Oregon's graduation rate for students with disabilities climbed from 41.8% to 72.2% over 15 years, the largest subgroup gain. But did standards also change?

Nevada's Black-White Absenteeism Gap Has Narrowed From Its COVID Peak — But Remains 70% Wider Than 2019

Black students in Nevada have a chronic absenteeism rate of 37.8%, a 10.7-point gap above white students. The gap is narrowing from its 14.7-point pandemic peak but remains 70% wider than before COVID.

Lexington and Schuyler Graduate Nearly 9 in 10 Hispanic Students. Nebraska's Statewide Gap Has Still Grown.

Lexington and Schuyler graduate nearly 9 in 10 Hispanic students in Nebraska. The statewide white-Hispanic gap has still widened to 16.8 percentage points — but the meatpacking corridor shows it is not demographic destiny.

Three in Five Nebraska Districts Have Fewer Than 500 Students

151 of 244 Nebraska public school districts enroll under 500 students, holding just 12.3% of the state's children while large suburban districts absorb all growth.

A Majority of Students Who Are Currently Homeless in North Dakota Are Chronically Absent

Fifty-three percent of students who are currently homeless in North Dakota miss more than 10% of school days, up from 39% before the pandemic, with virtually no recovery from the COVID peak.

North Carolina's Foster Care Graduation Rate Sits 31 Points Below the State Average

Students in foster care in North Carolina graduated at 55.4% in 2024, more than 31 points below the state average. The gap has widened since 2018 even as overall graduation held steady.

Missouri Hits an All-Time High: 92.7 Percent of Students Graduate on Time

Missouri's four-year graduation rate reached 92.7 percent in 2025, the highest on record, with a growing cohort that produced nearly 4,000 more graduates than in 2019.

Louisville Gained 5 Points in 5 Years

JCPS climbed from 83.7% to 88.7% graduation rate since 2020, with Black students gaining nearly 9 points and briefly surpassing white students in 2024.

Iowa's Native American Graduation Rate Collapsed to 68% — The Widest Racial Gap in the State

Native American students in Iowa graduated at 68% in 2024, down from 79% in 2020, while the white-Native American gap widened to 23 points -- the largest racial gap in the state.

Forsyth County Held Good Attendance While Georgia Slipped 13 Points

Forsyth County held good attendance near the top as Georgia's statewide rate slipped 13 points since 2019. The 'middle missing' is the fastest-growing group.

Putnam County: From 63.6% to 91.2% — Florida's Most Dramatic Graduation Turnaround

Putnam County's graduation rate climbed 27.6 points in eight years, from 63.6% to 91.2%, with students with disabilities improving by 53.5 points. The rural North Florida district now exceeds the state average.

Colorado Now Has 17,500 More Seniors Than Kindergartners

Colorado's K-to-12th grade ratio collapsed from 105 to 77 in a decade, with 61% of districts now graduating more seniors than they enroll in kindergarten.

One Charter Holder Now Enrolls 17,732 Students

American Leadership Academy has doubled in size since 2018, growing faster than any large district in Arizona while enrolling a student body nearly twice as white as the state average.

Wyoming Now Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners for the Third Year Running

Wyoming enrolled 6,064 kindergartners in 2025-26 — 25 percent below the 2014 peak — while Grade 12 sits near an all-time high. The grade pipeline tells the next decade's story.

West Virginia's Attendance Recovery Is Running Out of Steam

Three years of post-COVID improvement are fading. The state recovered 70% of lost attendance but annual gains shrank from 0.58 to 0.40 points, leaving 39 of 55 counties below pre-pandemic levels.

Vermont's Chronic Absenteeism Recovery Is Real, But Slower for Students Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch

Vermont's chronic absenteeism among students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch fell from a 2023 peak, but recovery has been slower than for their peers.

Utah's Black Graduation Rate Surges 10.8 Points in Eight Years, Closing Nearly Half the White-Black Gap

Black students in Utah improved their graduation rate from 73.1% to 83.9% since 2017, narrowing the White-Black gap from 15.2 to 8.2 percentage points.

Texas' Five Largest Urban Districts All Hit Record Lows

Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, and San Antonio ISDs are simultaneously at their lowest enrollment in 22 years of data.

South Carolina's English Learner Population Surged 39% in Seven Years

LEP enrollment surged 39% in seven years while total enrollment grew just 2.3%. Jasper County leads the state at 45%, and the growth spans coast to Upstate.

One in Three Oregon Students Is Chronically Absent

Oregon's chronic absenteeism rate stands at 33.5%, with 174,000 students missing 10% or more of the school year. At the current pace, recovery to pre-pandemic levels won't come until 2037.

Oklahoma Traditional Districts Hit 89% Graduation Rate as Virtual Charters Fall to 49%

Oklahoma traditional districts averaged a 89.4% graduation rate in 2025; the state's five virtual charter schools averaged 49.3%, a 40-point gap.

Ohio Lost 203,000 White Students. Every Other Group Grew.

White enrollment in Ohio public schools fell 15.4% since 2015, accounting for more than 100% of the state's total decline. Hispanic, Asian, multiracial, and Black enrollment all increased.

Sachem Has Lost Students 14 Years Straight

Long Island's largest suburban districts are in sustained enrollment decline, with Sachem and Smithtown losing students every year since 2013.

Albuquerque's 2017 Graduation Rate Held at 67.9% While the State Reached 71.1%

Albuquerque Public Schools graduated 67.9% of students in 2017, up 2.8 points over eight years while the statewide rate moved 5 points to 71.1%.

Three in Four North Dakota Ninth Graders Now Earn a Diploma on Time, Down from Nearly Nine in Ten

North Dakota's effective high school completion rate has fallen to 75%, down from 86% a decade ago. Mandan is the only large district to improve.

In the Flathead Valley, High Schools Surge While Elementary Rolls Shrink

Whitefish High School added 175 students since 2018, a 36% surge, while every elementary district in the Flathead Valley lost enrollment over the same period.

Minneapolis Is Becoming Whiter as Black Families Leave

Black enrollment in Minneapolis Public Schools has fallen 47% since 2007, while white share rose from 28.5% to 36.4%. The shift is not gentrification adding students. It is Black and Asian families leaving faster.

Massachusetts Attendance Recovery Stalls Below 1 Point

After three years of improvement, Massachusetts chronic absenteeism recovery has nearly stopped. Annual gains shrank from 5.5 points to under 1, leaving 89% of districts above pre-COVID rates.

Louisiana's Special Education Graduation Gap Collapsed From 22 Points to 4, In Just Seven Years

Louisiana's special education graduation rate surged from 59% to 81% since 2018, nearly closing a gap that most states struggle to shrink below 30 points.

Indiana's Graduation Gap Has Nearly Closed: Students Who Are Economically Disadvantaged Now Graduate at 93%

The gap between students who are economically disadvantaged and their paid-meals peers narrowed from 11.5 to under 1 percentage point, but a broadened definition may be doing some of the work.

Indiana Enrolls 15,157 Fewer Kindergartners Than Seniors

Indiana's kindergarten class is now 18% smaller than its senior class, a gap that nearly tripled in three years, locking in a decade of decline.

Lahaina Schools After the Fire: King Kamehameha III Elementary's Quiet Recovery

King Kamehameha III Elementary, the Lahaina school destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires, has dropped its chronic rate from 67% to 24%, matching the state average, while other Lahaina schools lag behind.

Georgia's Income Graduation Gap Fell to 3.5 Points

Georgia's income graduation gap fell from 15.3 to 3.5 points since 2011. But 88 districts now classify 100% of seniors as disadvantaged.

Only 1 of 73 Florida Districts Has Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance Levels

Hendry County is the sole Florida district where chronic absenteeism is below pre-pandemic levels. The other 72 remain worse off, including every large urban system.

19 Points Apart in the Same City

Red Clay graduates 92% of students. Christina, sharing Wilmington, graduates 73%. The Redding Consortium voted to merge them into one district.

One in Five Connecticut Students Now Receives Special Education

Special education enrollment grew 40% over 15 years while total enrollment fell 12%, creating a structural mismatch that a $70M funding boost has not resolved.

Compton Unified Now Graduates 93.7% of Its Students, Six Points Above the California Average

Compton Unified rose from 83.5% to 93.7% graduation rate in seven years, now nearly six points above the California state average.

Nine Arizona Districts Have At Least Half Their Students Chronically Absent

In nine Arizona districts, at least half of all students are chronically absent. Rates reach 64.9% in reservation and rural communities.

Arkansas's White-Black Graduation Gap Narrowed to 5.5 Points. Black Students Drove Most of the Closing.

The white-Black graduation gap in Arkansas shrank from 7.7 to 5.5 points over nine years, driven by Black students gaining 3.6 points.

Racine's Recovery Has Stalled at 36.5%

Racine Unified's chronic absenteeism rate held flat at 36.5% in 2025, unchanged from the prior year, as the state's fifth-largest district faces compounding enrollment loss and attendance challenges.

Ogden's Attendance Crisis Reversed After Three Years of Progress

Ogden City District's chronic absenteeism rate rose to 40% in 2025, erasing gains and leaving the district 13 points above its pre-COVID baseline.

Three in Four Black Students in Tennessee Are in Class. Nashville's Playbook for the Rest.

Three in four Black students in Tennessee attend school regularly. Nashville cut its Black chronic absence rate 7.8 points in three years — the steepest sustained recovery of any large district in the state.

South Dakota Is 10,138 Students Below Where It Should Be

If the state's pre-COVID enrollment trend had continued, nearly 149,000 students would be in public schools. Instead there are 138,861.

Attendance for SC Students in Foster Care Is Getting Worse, Not Better

Students in foster care in SC have a 42.4% chronic absenteeism rate, up 13.4 points in four years, even as the foster care population dropped by nearly half.

South Jersey's Attendance Gap With the North Has Nearly Doubled Since the Pandemic

South Jersey districts average 15.6% chronic absenteeism vs 11.1% in the north, a 4.5 pp gap that was only 2.4 pp pre-COVID.

Concord's Graduation Crisis: Capital City Drops to 73%, Below Manchester for First Time

New Hampshire's capital graduated just 73% of its Class of 2025 — an all-time low, and for the first time, below Manchester.

Fargo and West Fargo Both Hit All-Time Low Graduation Rates as the Metro Booms

Fargo dropped to 80% and West Fargo to 79.9% in 2024, both all-time lows, despite being the state's fastest-growing metro area.

Michigan's 2025 Enrollment Lands Almost Exactly Where the Pre-COVID Trend Predicted

Michigan's 2025 enrollment is within 4,300 students of the trajectory projected before the pandemic. The COVID-era 45,858-student drop sits inside a longer structural decline, not outside it.

One in 20 Maine Students Is Now an English Learner

Maine's English learner population surged 54% in nine years even as total enrollment fell, driven by refugee resettlement and asylum seekers in Portland and Lewiston.

Seven in Ten Louisiana Students Are Economically Disadvantaged

Louisiana classifies 70.1% of its public school students as economically disadvantaged, but the number measures the state's meal program accounting as much as its poverty.

Where 87% of Students Are Hispanic: Inside Kansas's Meatpacking Corridor

Three southwest Kansas districts built around beef plants have become among the most Hispanic school systems in the state, reshaping how Kansas funds and staffs its schools.

Foster Care Is the Only Group Where Chronic Absenteeism Is Still Rising in Idaho

While every other student subgroup in Idaho improved or held steady, students in foster care saw chronic absenteeism rise from 24.2% to 27.1%, the only group moving in the wrong direction.

Dover's Capital District: 1 in 4 Students Still Missing School

Capital School District has the highest chronic absenteeism rate of any traditional district in Delaware at 26.1%, nearly double the state average.

Only 19 of 93 Colorado Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Absence Levels

Five years after the pandemic, fewer than one in five measurable Colorado districts have chronic absenteeism rates at or below their 2019-20 levels, with most large districts still well above baseline.

Eleven Rural Alabama Districts Have Lost 40% of Their Students Since 2015

Eleven rural Alabama districts have lost 40% of their enrollment since 2015. Perry County alone is down 57.7%, and the funding formula makes the spiral worse.

Only 28% of Wisconsin Districts Have Recovered from COVID

Wisconsin lost 28,898 students during COVID and another 24,054 since. None of the state's 10 largest districts have regained pre-pandemic enrollment.

In One Virginia Division, 79% Earn an Advanced Diploma. In Another, 17%.

Virginia's Advanced Studies diploma share ranges from 79% in Goochland County to 17% in Giles County, a gap that maps onto wealth and geography.

Three in Four Virginia Divisions Never Recovered from COVID

Five years after the pandemic, 96 of 131 Virginia school divisions remain below pre-COVID enrollment. The five largest losers account for 45% of the gap.

Retraction: Texas Does Publish Graduation Rates for Black and Native American Students

Retraction: our earlier report that Texas publishes no graduation data for Black and Native American students was wrong. TEA reports those rates yearly.

Greenville County Schools Crosses 90% Graduation Rate for the First Time

Greenville County Schools posted a 90.6% graduation rate in 2025, the first time the state's largest district has crossed 90%, with gains in every subgroup the state reports except youth in foster care.

Nearly Half of Omaha Public Schools Students Are Chronically Absent

Omaha Public Schools' chronic absenteeism rate has plateaued near 45%, with nearly one in five OPS high schoolers missing more than a quarter of the school year.

The St. Louis Enrollment Donut: Inner Ring Empties, Outer Ring Fills

Six of nine inner-ring St. Louis suburbs hit all-time enrollment lows while outer-ring districts surged, a textbook enrollment donut reshaping the metro.

The COVID Mirage: Maryland's 2021 Low Rate Was Virtual Instruction, Not Recovery

When Maryland students logged into Zoom, chronic absenteeism appeared to drop. When they returned to classrooms, it spiked 12.6 points in a single year.

Three-Quarters Back: Iowa Has Recovered 76% from the COVID Absence Surge

Iowa's chronic absenteeism rate has fallen from a 25.6% peak to 15.8%, but 183 of 325 districts remain above their pre-COVID baselines.

Hawaii Charters Cross 8% for the First Time

Charter schools now enroll 8.2% of Hawaii's public school students, but the 2026 gain of just 277 students signals a sector hitting structural limits.

Jenkins County's 45% Absence Rate Is a Virtual School Story

A statewide online school run by ACCEL Schools nearly doubled Jenkins County enrollment and pushed its chronic absenteeism from 25% to 45%.

The Poverty-Attendance Divide: Connecticut's Free Lunch Students Miss School at More Than Twice the Rate

Students eligible for free lunch averaged an 18% chronic absence rate compared to 7.9% for non-eligible peers in 2020 — a 10.1-point gap that narrowed only because wealthier students got worse.

The District That Never Stopped Growing

Weld RE-4 in Windsor has grown every year for 11 straight years, the only Colorado district with an unbroken streak, adding 3,781 students as the state shrank.

From 28% to 5%: Delano Union Elementary Is California's Attendance Model

A 6,400-student Kern County district achieved a 5.3% chronic absenteeism rate -- well below the state average and its own pre-COVID baseline.

West Memphis: From 22% Chronic Absence to 5% in a Delta District

West Memphis cut chronic absenteeism from 22% to 5% in five years, while Arkansas's statewide rate climbed to a record 27.7%.

Birmingham Has Been Stuck at 81% for a Decade

Birmingham City's graduation rate has barely moved in a decade (79.4% in 2015, 81.0% in 2025) while the state improved by nearly 5 points around it.

Texas Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners for the First Time

12th grade enrollment now exceeds kindergarten by 44,132 students in Texas, a complete inversion of the pipeline that held for decades.

Shaw Air Force Base Can't Save Sumter's Schools

Sumter has lost 3,610 students since 2015, a 21.3% decline, despite hosting one of the Southeast's largest military installations. The base's $2 billion impact isn't enough.

Ohio Lost 19,611 Students in 2025, the Biggest Non-COVID Drop

Ohio enrollment fell by 19,611 students in 2025-26, the largest non-COVID decline on record, and 391 districts now sit at all-time lows.

Pre-K Grew 26% While Kindergarten Hit a 22-Year Low

New York added 12,800 Pre-K students since 2012, driven by NYC's universal program. Kindergarten lost 35,550 over the same span, falling to its lowest level on record.

Only 1 of 17 Nevada Districts Has Recovered from the COVID Absenteeism Surge

Six years after the pandemic, Eureka County is the only Nevada district where chronic absenteeism has returned to pre-COVID levels. Sixteen districts remain 3 to 27 points above.

Camden's Absenteeism Reversal

Nearly half of Camden students are chronically absent after a post-pandemic recovery stalled and reversed in 2024, widening the gap with New Jersey's statewide rate.

Three Omaha Suburbs Have Grown Every Year for 21 Years

Bennington, Gretna, and Elkhorn are the only Nebraska districts to post enrollment gains in all 21 year-over-year transitions since 2005.

West Fargo Has Grown Every Year for 18 Years

West Fargo's enrollment rose 113.8% since 2008, making it North Dakota's second-largest school district.

Dickinson's Chronic Absenteeism Surged From 10% to 26% as Oil Country Attendance Collapses

Bakken oil region districts saw chronic absence rates double or triple since 2018, far outpacing the state's 8-point increase, as boom-bust volatility destabilizes school attendance.

Colstrip Lost One in Five Students as Its Power Plant Shrank

Colstrip's combined school enrollment fell 19.8% since 2018, tracking the closure of two coal-fired generating units and the uncertain future of two more.

Mississippi's Charter Sector Hits 1%, but 15% of Jackson

Mississippi's 10 charter schools enroll just 1% of students statewide. In Jackson, six charters now claim 15% of the combined enrollment pool.

The Suburban Donut: Minnetonka Surpasses Robbinsdale

Outer-ring Twin Cities suburbs gained 12,559 students since 2007 while inner-ring districts lost 7,248, reshaping the metro's enrollment geography.

One in Four Michigan Districts Hit Record-Low Enrollment

231 of Michigan's 878 districts are at their lowest enrollment on record in 2024-25, a number that tripled in a single year and spans every size category.

Only 86 Kindergartners for Every 100 Seniors

Massachusetts kindergarten enrollment has fallen below grade 12 for 12 straight years, a pipeline inversion that guarantees smaller schools for a generation.

Retraction: Our Statewide Special Education Rate for Kansas Was Not Supported by the Data

Retraction: our report that one in seven Kansas students receives special education services was built from incomplete district counts. We withdraw the article in full.

Seymour Went From 72% White to 46% in a Decade

Hispanic students now outnumber white students in Seymour Community Schools, the fastest demographic shift of any Indiana district over the past 10 years.

How Garfield Re-2 Cut Chronic Absenteeism From 55% to 18%

A Western Slope district of 4,641 students posted one of Colorado's most dramatic attendance turnarounds, dropping from the state's worst large-district rate to well below average in four years.

Only 7.4% of California's Large Districts Have Recovered Pre-Pandemic Attendance

Of 607 large school districts, just 45 have returned to their pre-COVID chronic absenteeism rates. The median district remains 6.8 points above baseline.

19 Arkansas Districts Defied Two Years of Rising Absence

Only 19 of 240 Arkansas districts improved chronic absenteeism in two consecutive years. They span every geography and every size. Here's what they share.

Less Than Half of Rhode Island's Foster Youth Graduate High School

Rhode Island's foster youth graduated at just 42.7% in 2024, a new low and an 8.7-point drop from the prior year. A 17-member legislative commission is studying the problem.

Seattle's 20-Point Attendance Divide: White Students at 17%, Black Students at 35%

Seattle has a below-average overall chronic rate of 23.4% but a 17.8-point gap between white and Black students — a disparity that widened after the pandemic.

Harrisburg Now Enrolls More Students Than Aberdeen or Watertown

Three ring districts south of Sioux Falls added 8,194 students since 2007, doubling their state enrollment share while the core plateaus.

Middletown's 23-Point Drop: The Quiet Turnaround Nobody's Talking About

Middletown cut chronic absenteeism from 42.7% to 19.9% in three years — the largest improvement among mid-size RI districts, without state intervention.

PA Cyber Charters: Absence Rising While Traditional Schools Improve

Pennsylvania's cyber charter schools saw chronic absence rise to 30% even as traditional schools improved to 20%. New state reforms add oversight.

Oregon's Gender Gap in Graduation Has Halved Since 2010

Oregon's female-male graduation gap narrowed from 8.5 to 3.6 points since 2010, driven by male gains. Oregon also reports non-binary graduation data.

Omaha Public Schools Can't Break 72% — and the Gap to the State Is Growing

Omaha Public Schools graduated 71.5% of its 2025 cohort — a 16.4-point gap to the state average, the widest on record. Inside the district, 1,085 students didn't finish on time.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg: How North Carolina's Largest District Fell Behind

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools once led its peers in graduation rate. Eight years later, CMS trails Wake by 7 points and Guilford by nearly 8, with the state's largest cohort of non-graduates.

Kansas City's 19-Point Graduation Miracle: From Crisis to Nearly 90 Percent

Kansas City 33's graduation rate climbed from 69.4 percent in 2019 to 88.2 percent in 2025, a turnaround driven by even larger gains among Black students.

Baton Rouge Loses 1,703 Students in One Year

East Baton Rouge Parish enrollment fell 4.3% in 2026, seven times the prior year's rate, as school closures, charter exits, and outmigration collide in Louisiana's capital.

Kentucky's White-Black Graduation Gap: 3.9 Points

Black students in Kentucky graduate at 91.1%, cutting the gap with white students from 9.5 points to 3.9 since 2020. Both groups are above 90%.

Storm Lake Graduates 54% of Students — Iowa's Lowest Rate Outside Special Programs

Storm Lake's 54% graduation rate is the lowest among Iowa's traditional school districts, reflecting the structural challenges facing a meatpacking town where most students are learning English.

Florida's Special Education Gap Collapsed: From 19 Points to 3 in Eight Years

Florida students with disabilities graduated at 86.8% in 2024, closing a 19-point gap with the overall rate to just 2.9 points. The improvement is among the most dramatic special education gains in any state.

Arizona Lost 76,000 White Students in Eight Years

White enrollment in Arizona public schools fell 18% since 2018, nearly double the overall decline, as vouchers and demographics reshape classrooms.

Cheyenne's 8-School Closure Plan: The Largest District Hits the Wall

Laramie County School District #1, Wyoming's largest, has lost 1,402 students since 2020 and plans to close 8 elementary schools through 2035. Parents have sued to stop it.

Two Vermont Districts Where Most Students Are Chronically Absent

Rutland City at 56.7% and Winooski at 52.5% are Vermont's only districts where a majority of students miss 10% or more of school days.

Oklahoma's Graduation Rate Is Climbing Back. It Still Hasn't Reached Where It Was in 2019.

Oklahoma's 4-year graduation rate hit 82.2% in 2025 after a 3-year recovery, but remains below the 2019 peak and nearly 5 points below the national average.

The Gender Chasm: New Mexico Boys Graduate at 67%, Girls at 75%

New Mexico's gender graduation gap of nearly 8 points exceeds the national average by 3 points. Male students graduate at lower rates than economically disadvantaged students.

The White-Black Graduation Gap Narrowed to Its Smallest Point, 6.7 Percentage Points

Louisiana's white-Black graduation gap fell to 6.7 points in 2025, its narrowest on record, as Black students gained 4.8 points and outpaced white improvement.

From 71% to 93%: How Indianapolis Public Schools Defied Every Prediction

Indianapolis Public Schools posted a 93% graduation rate in 2025, surpassing the state average for the first time after a two-decade transformation.

Every Equity Gap in Hawaii's Attendance Data Widened After COVID, and None Have Closed

Every racial and socioeconomic gap in Hawaii's chronic absenteeism data is wider in 2025 than it was before COVID, and not a single one has returned to its pre-pandemic level.

Atlanta Crosses 90% for the First Time

Atlanta Public Schools posted a 90.5% graduation rate in 2025, up from 52% in 2011. The district that was rocked by a cheating scandal now outpaces the state.

Gadsden County's Chronic Absenteeism Nearly Quadrupled in Six Years

Chronic absenteeism in Gadsden County surged from 15.3% to 56.0% between 2018 and 2024, the most dramatic deterioration of any Florida district.

Delaware's Hispanic Graduation Gap Nearly Doubled in Three Years

The white-Hispanic graduation gap shrank to 5 points by 2019. By 2022 it had ballooned to 9.6 points. Sussex County districts show gaps exceeding 20 points.

California's White-Black Graduation Gap Cut by More Than Half in Seven Years

California's white-Black graduation gap shrank from 15.6 to 6.4 percentage points as Black students posted the largest gains of any racial group.

Arizona's Poverty Attendance Gap: Economically Disadvantaged Students Are 6 Points Above Average

Economically disadvantaged students in Arizona face a 29.8% chronic absenteeism rate, 6.1 points above average and 10.4 points above pre-COVID levels.

Arkansas Is Graduating 89 Percent of Its Students. That Puts It Above the National Average.

Arkansas graduates 89% of students, 2 points above the national average, with gains across every racial subgroup since 2016.

Four Out of Five Wisconsin Districts Haven't Recovered to Pre-COVID Attendance

Only 83 of 421 Wisconsin school districts have returned to pre-pandemic chronic absenteeism rates, while 338 remain stuck with elevated absence three years after the 2022 peak.

Nearly One in Three Utah Kindergartners Is Chronically Absent

Kindergarten has the highest chronic absenteeism rate of any grade in Utah at 30%, six points above the state average, raising questions about the state's half-day funding model.

South Carolina's Poverty Attendance Gap: 16 Points and Not Closing

Economically disadvantaged students are chronically absent at 28.5% vs 12.1% for their peers, a 16-point gap that has not budged in four years of data.

One in Five New Jersey Seniors Is Chronically Absent

Twelfth-grade chronic absenteeism averages 20.3% across NJ schools, 8.3 points higher than 3rd grade, but seniors have recovered faster from COVID than any other grade.

Dover's Decade: How One City Climbed to an All-Time High of 91.5%

Dover graduated 91.5% of its Class of 2025 — an all-time high and the only large district to set a record in a year when 21 districts hit bottom.

North Dakota's Graduation Rate Has Fallen for Four Straight Years to Its Lowest Point in Over a Decade

North Dakota's 4-year graduation rate dropped to 82.4% in 2024, its lowest in 12 years, even as cohort sizes grew 15%.

Two Pre-K Students for Every Three Kindergartners

Maine's pre-K enrollment surged 30% while kindergarten fell 14.8%, the steepest grade-level decline in the state. The divergence reveals a policy success colliding with a demographic wall.

Coeur d'Alene's Absenteeism Rose 7.4 Points While the State Improved

Coeur d'Alene's chronic absenteeism rate jumped from 13.3% to 20.7% over four years, crossing above the state average as Idaho's overall rate fell.

One in Four Colonial Students Misses Too Much School

Colonial's 24.9% chronic absenteeism rate leads NCC peers, sitting 7.7 points above Delaware's average despite a 12.9-point drop from its 2022 peak.

Nine in Ten Virginia Students Graduate on Time. The Pandemic Bump Is Wearing Off.

Virginia still graduates more than 91% of its students, but the 93% pandemic-era peak in 2021 has eroded, with 78 of 130 divisions sliding back.

The 90.7% Ceiling: Texas's Graduation Rate Edges Past Its Pre-COVID Level, but 26 Districts Are Below 70%

Texas's federal 4-year graduation rate reached 90.7% for the Class of 2024, edging past its pre-COVID level. But 26 districts graduate fewer than 70% of students.

80,000 Low-Income Students Are Missing School

Nearly 30% of Tennessee's economically disadvantaged students are chronically absent, and the poverty gap in attendance is wider now than before the pandemic spike.

South Carolina Hits All-Time High 86.7% Graduation Rate. Youth in Foster Care Graduate at Barely Half That

South Carolina's graduation rate reached an all-time high of 86.7% in 2025, but youth in foster care graduate at just 44.8%, a 41.9 percentage-point gap.

Nebraska City: From 2.9% to 37% -- the Most Dramatic Chronic Absenteeism Spike in the State

Nebraska City had a chronic absenteeism rate of 2.9% before COVID. Six years later, it's 37.1% -- a 34-point increase that dwarfs every other district in the state.

The 31.9-Point Gap: Maryland's Attendance Divide Spans 60 Miles

From Frederick's 16.8% to Baltimore City's 48.7%, chronic absenteeism tracks poverty and geography more than any policy variable.

Fairfield Still Beats the State Average on Attendance -- but Its Rate Has Gotten Worse Every Year for Seven Straight

Fairfield School District's chronic absence rate remains well below Connecticut's average, but it increased every year from 2014 to 2020 -- the longest worsening streak in the state.

Alabama Recovered to Its Second-Highest Graduation Rate Ever After the 2023 Dip